katie
Written on Jul 11, 2020
I simply CANNOT wait for the conclusion of this series, but at the same time I don't ever want it to end.
Just... read it asap. It's worth it, trust me.
The highly anticipated, mind-blowing New York Times bestselling sequel to Kiersten White’s New York Times bestseller, AND I DARKEN—the series that reads like HBO’s Game of Thrones . . . if it were set in the Ottoman Empire.
A SISTER FILLED WITH RAGE
Lada Dracul has no allies. No crown. 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 cross her. She storms the countryside with her men, but brute force isn’t getting Lada what she wants. And thinking of Mehmed, the defiant Ottoman sultan, 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.
HER BROTHER CAUGHT IN THE CROSSHAIRS
Lada needs the support of her diplomatic younger brother, Radu. 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. And for the first time in his life, when Lada asks him for help, he refuses . . . leading his sister to make the darkest of choices.
THE ULTIMATE POWER PLAY
Torn between loyalties to faith, to the Ottomans, and to Mehmed, Radu knows he owes Lada nothing. If she dies, he could never forgive himself—but if he fails in Constantinople, would 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.
Fans of Victoria Aveyard’s THE RED QUEEN and Sabaa Tahir’s A TORCH AGAINST THE NIGHT won’t want to miss this riveting and gorgeously written novel—the second in the And I Darken series.
★ "Gorgeous, rich, and rewarding."—Booklist, starred review
★ "Absolutely devastating in the best way."—Kirkus, starred review
“A+, 5 knives.”—Amie Kaufman, New York Times bestselling co-author of the STARBOUND and ILLUMINAE FILES trilogies
“Fierce, epic, and crazy fun.”—Melissa Albert, New York Times bestselling author of THE HAZEL WOOD
A Teen Choice Book Award nominee!
Praise for And I Darken:
“A dark jewel of a story, one that gleams with fierce, cunning characters—absolutely riveting.” —Alexandra Bracken, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Passenger
“A dark, gritty, and seriously badass epic that will have you dying for more . . . required reading for every feminist fantasy fan.” —BuzzFeed
“Evocative . . . this book takes no prisoners.” —NPR
- ISBN10 0553522353
- ISBN13 9780553522358
- Publish Date 27 June 2017
- Publish Status Active
- Publish Country US
- Imprint Delacorte Press
- Format Hardcover
- Pages 480
- Language English
- URL https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780553522358
Reviews
I simply CANNOT wait for the conclusion of this series, but at the same time I don't ever want it to end.
Just... read it asap. It's worth it, trust me.
ross91
Written on Aug 15, 2018
Kelly
Written on Oct 5, 2017
Ladislav Dragwlya has abandoned the Ottoman Empire and destined to conquer Wallachia and the throne the Danesti Prince occupies. Lada Dracul is a ferocious young woman, callous, unrelenting and determined to reign as Prince of Wallachia.
There is no other title. I will be vaivode, prince of Wallachia. And I will make the land into the country my people deserve.
Mehmed is resolved to acquire Constantinople, Sultan, Emperor and Caesar of Rome. The Christian Constantinople welcomes political refugee Radu Dracul and wife Nazira who are escaping persecution. The tender young man is entrusted to infiltrate Constantinople, to manipulate the Roman Christians and substantiate Radu's allegiance to the Ottoman Empire and Mehmed.
The narrative accompanies siblings Lada and Radu Dracul, once held captive by the Ottoman Empire to ensure the compliance of their late father. Lada is on a journey of discovery as violence will not allow Lada to conquer the Wallachian throne and she's compelled to forge diplomatic relationships. In an era where women are often demoralised, Lada is a remarkable young woman that refuses to adhere to societal measures and I admire her tenacity and fortitude. Radu is a contrasting character, passionate and devout while Mehmet manipulates Radu's gentle compassion for both political and personal dominance. Mehmed is emotionally distant, conscious of the fabrication and innuendo of his friendship with Radu, he manipulates Radu to infiltrate the Roman Constantinople and ambassador Cyprian. Cyprian is compassionate, virtuous and enticed by Radu.
You love with all your heart, Radu, and deserve someone who can answer that with all of theirs.
The diversity of characters is wonderful, an amalgamation of religion and sexuality. Muslim, Christian, same sex relationships and Radu's exploration of sexuality and faith. Women in positions of domination are inconceivable. Male lineages occupy Europe, women are wives, concubines and adhere to the traditional female roles prevalent throughout the European kingdoms. Janissaries are traditionally retained by the Ottoman Empire and now accompany the menacing young woman across Eastern Europe where sexism and chauvinism are prevalent. I enjoyed Lada's camaraderie with Hunyadi who provided both tactical and emotional encouragement. Nicolae is a staunch defender but childhood companion Bogdan creates an intensity within the group of Janissaries.
The Conqueror's Saga is a breathtaking, historical alternative of the Ottoman Empire during fifteenth century Europe. Mehmed the Conqueror abolished the Eastern Roman Empire and the conquest of Constantinople, while Ladislav Dragwlya decimates South Eastern Europe. Unrelenting and frenetic. Absolutely remarkable.
Kait ✨
Written on Jul 10, 2017
Stephanie
Written on Jun 30, 2017
Linda
Written on May 10, 2017
Now I Rise took me on a fantastic trip through history and various countries, following Lada in her quest for power - on her own.
Now I Rise is one of my favorite 2017 releases! There, now that's out of the way, you have been warned that this review might not be as coherent as it could be, because I'm so happy about this book I just want to say : "Run and buy it! Then shut yourself in somewhere to read it!" That's how good it is! Lada has grown up quite a bit, but now, she's without Radu and Mehmed, and while she definitely wanted to have allies, they were not the best choice for her to win back Wallachia. And she soon realizes that while her men believe in her and her abilities, other people only see her as a woman, who should not necessarily lead an army to take back what she believes is hers. The beginning of the story shows the continuation from the first book, but Lada ends up leaving with her own fighters, rather than staying with Mehmed and Radu.
There is a strong sense of right and wrong in Now I Rise, and while Lada sometimes skirts the line between them, she is one who fights for women. She is absolutely horrified when she sees how some women are treated on her lands, and she has a strong need to make their lives better, safer, and give them some power back as well. This is definitely not something that would be common in the 15th century, but it sure does mesh with Lada and how she acted from I first met her in And I Darken. Lada is ruthless, just like the men who surround her - but because she is a woman, most of them completely underestimate her, and that is one of her strengths. Because she understands that their underestimating her can be used to her advantage. And she continues to see the threads of power and kinship that string people together. She also has the ability to see where such strings might be weaker, and thus knows exactly where to strike and when.
The historical aspects in Now I Rise are amazing, even if White doesn't follow them in every way. I love how the wars based on religions are explained - and those same reasons are used today in the real world. Infidels on both sides, where the Christians and the Muslims believe that theirs is the one true religion. Using armies to get the point across, to become more powerful and bring turmoil and hunger to the enemy. There is also a sense of Lada growing here, not only physically, but emotionally, she has become more mature. And she definitely sometimes has to fight against her own body in order to move forward with her plans for the future.
Written in third person, past tense, the narration follows Lada more than Radu or Mehmed in Now I Rise. We do get more than simple glimpses of them, though, especially Radu has an important role. With a wide cast of characters, and several battles to fight, there is a lot of action as well as a complex plot where political alliances are made and broken rather quickly.
She knew now that nothing she could do would ever be enough. Unless she could grow a penis, which did not seem likely. Nor particularly desirable.
Mehmed had tried to read her poetry before, and she always stopped him. It was a waste of words and breath. Who had ever looked with lust upon a gazelle?
He sat on the edge of the roof, his feet dangling in the void beneath him. It echoed the one that had opened up inside of him. He felt close to falling - or to flying. He did not know which it would be, but had no doubt time would tell.
cornerfolds
Written on Feb 15, 2017
Initial reaction:
Last year I had the opportunity to review And I Darken early. And I loved it. It became one of my absolute favorite reads of 2016! And then the next year was slow, slow torture as I waited for book two. But then, luckily, I got to read it early as well! In February. And the next year will again be torturous.
Now I Rise picks up very shortly after And I Darken ends, with Lada on the way back to Wallachia, where she intends to claim the throne, wreaking amazing havoc and attempting to pick up allies on the way. Lada was an incredibly strong character who I almost instantly fell in love with in the first book in this series, and I was not disappointed in her here! She makes no apologies on her way to accomplish her goals or for her means to that end. Is she brutal? Absolutely! And I loved every single sentence I read about her story. I loved watching the relationships between Lada and Bogdan, Mehmed, and Hunyadi evolve. Honestly, I could go on and on about my love for Lada, but now I have to rave about another character.
Radu. Oh, Radu's story was every bit as incredible as Lada's! At first, I wasn't too sure about the dual points of view once Lada and Radu went their separate ways, then I found myself completely loving each. My only complaint is that I wish I'd gotten a full book from each of them - a chapter here and there wasn't enough! Radu's story takes an unexpected turn in this book, with him heading to Constantinople on behalf of Mehmed and his ultimate goal of taking the city for his own. New characters and old are present as are new and old romances, all of which were incredible! Radu really came into his own in Now I Rise, accepting himself as he attempted to take control of his circumstances. I have always been able to sympathize with Radu, but this time he broke my heart a time or two.
I've mentioned that there were quite a few secondary characters important to the story, both new and old. My opinion of Mehmed definitely changed a lot during this book, although I was already on the fence with him in And I Darken. He really did keep me on an emotional roller coaster. I ended up feeling a lot of feelings I did not expect for Hunyadi! And Radu's companions in Constantinople... I'd need pages to tell you of my love for them. I have such high hopes for that storyline in the next book!
As you may have gathered, I absolutely adored this story. Each main character went in a totally different direction, but I adored how their stories played out and intertwined. Everything tied back to the first book and nothing was randomly thrown in as filler, which seems to happen in second books. Speaking of, this book never seemed to suffer from second book syndrome. There was strategic planning and awesome battles on both ends and I was always on the edge of my seat. I loved the intricacies of the battle between the Christians and Muslims and am certainly more interested now to learn more about that history. I can definitely see myself reading this series over and over!
This book spanned many vastly different locations, and all of the settings were incredibly well written. Even now I can clearly picture Wallachia, Constantinople, and everything in between. Kiersten White really has a way of writing that makes me feel like I'm actually in the action and can see everything as it happens!
I really cannot say enough good things about Now I Rise! I've already said I wasn't sure I'd love it as much as And I Darken with Radu and Lada on different paths, but it exceeded all of my expectations and left me with a serious book hangover. I am crossing all of my fingers and toes for an ARC of the next book and hoping I survive that long! If you love historical fiction and badass characters, this is definitely a series you don't want to miss!