And I Darken by Kiersten White

And I Darken (And I Darken, #1)

by Kiersten White

The New York Times Bestseller!

“Absolutely riveting.” —Alexandra Bracken, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Darkest Minds

This vividly rendered novel reads like HBO’s Game of Thrones . . . if it were set in the Ottoman Empire. Ambitious in scope and intimate in execution, the story’s atmospheric setting is rife with political intrigue, with a deftly plotted narrative driven by fiercely passionate characters and a fearsome heroine. Fans of Victoria Aveyard’s THE RED QUEEN and Sabaa Tahir’s AN EMBER IN THE ASHES won’t want to miss this visceral, immersive, and mesmerizing novel, the first in the And I Darken series.

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.

From New York Times bestselling author Kiersten White comes the first book in a dark, sweeping new series in which heads will roll, bodies will be impaled . . . and hearts will be broken.

“A dark and twisty fantasy . . . think Game of Thrones, but with teens.”—Seventeen
 
“Sinister, suspenseful, and unapologetically feminist.”—Buzzfeed
 
“Will completely spin you into another time and place.”—Bustle
 
“Takes no prisoners, offering up brutal, emotional historical fiction.”—NPR.org

An ALA Rainbow List Top Ten Selection

Reviewed by Kait ✨ on

5 of 5 stars

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I LOVED this book. It totally lived up to the hype for me. Personally I feel like all you need to know is: gender-bent Vlad the Impaler (one Ladislav Dragwlya, also known as Lada). However, a few other thoughts…

I feel like I’ve seen this advertised as fantasy but it isn’t—it’s definitely historical fiction. That’s maybe a bit of a stretch considering the gender-swapping, but still. It’s not fantasy, more alternate history.

It’s a quiet novel, and not a lot happens plot-wise. It’s heavier on the political intrigue than anything else, and for that reason I’d comp it to [b:A Game of Thrones|13496|A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, #1)|George R.R. Martin|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1436732693s/13496.jpg|1466917] or [b:Bitterblue|12680907|Bitterblue (Graceling Realm, #3)|Kristin Cashore|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1331532273s/12680907.jpg|6508730] by Kristin Cashore. There’s a lot of distrust and lying and stabbing and plotting etc. etc. etc. (Totally up my alley.) I think [b:And I Darken|27190613|And I Darken (The Conqueror's Saga #1)|Kiersten White|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1449153532s/27190613.jpg|41682914]’s strength lies in its quietness, particularly in Lada’s struggle to understand her femininity and come to terms with accepting or rejecting it. There is so much to think about here when using a feminist lens. White also explores religion very deftly, particularly the issue of Christianity vs. Islam that was occurring during this time in Eastern Europe.

The characters are really thoughtfully drawn out. I loved that Lada actually is kind of crazy and definitely malicious, and while her brother Radu is “weak” and “sweet” he also has his mean streak. Their bond and the sibling dynamics was fascinating.

There is kind of a love triangle… but it’s really unusual and quite well done, too, and also not really a love triangle in the sense of the typical meaning. There are some very complicated relationships depicted in this book and some very messy, un-understood feelings, and that does come to a head with the trio of Lada, her brother Radu, and their best friend Mehmed. But it’s still not quite a love triangle.

I would recommend this to anyone who likes high fantasy and/or historical fiction: it has vibes of both. It’s so brutal and gritty and intense and at times I was very emotional about it all which came as a bit of a surprise considering how psychotic everyone in this book can be. I mean, honestly, it’s kind of fucked up but I loved every second of it. Also a surprise as I read [b:Paranormalcy|7719245|Paranormalcy (Paranormalcy, #1)|Kiersten White|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1496938681s/7719245.jpg|6949381] by this author years ago and HATED it. Five gold stars—I can’t wait for the second book, [b:Now I Rise|22817331|Now I Rise (And I Darken Series, #2)|Kiersten White|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1476160834s/22817331.jpg|42367441].

Apparently this book is 500 pages but I read it in eBook so I had no idea, although I feel better now that it took me so long to read it hahaha. Very excited that book two is also 496 pages!

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