Review: Now I Rise

Conquerors Saga: Now I Rise  | Kiersten White

Published by: Corgi Childrens, July 6th 2017

Genre: YA, Historical

Pages: 480

Format: Ebook

Source: Corgi, via Netgalley

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. 

I did not think this book would ever surpass And I Darken, but boy was I wrong. I'm gonna lay out my thoughts:

-Lada is my fave ever. I love her viciousness, her drive to get what she wants, and how she fights for abused women. Hell yes.

- I freaking loved Radu???!!! So confused. I went into this not really fussed, but now I respect him so much and I love him. I think it's because we get to really see him as himself, away from Mehmed in this.

-Radu/Nazira are friendship goals and also marriage goals tbh

-I want to keep Cyprian forever and ever. He's (mostly) new to this book but I know everyone's gonna love him. Precious, kind, smol gay son.

-Daciana is my new fave (really hope I remembered her name right, because I almost called her Daniela) I love everything about her, and she and Stefan are super cute.

-Oh, and the brutality of the plot is awesome, this book is written INSANELY WELL and paced even better, and the war is so vivid and cunning and everything I wanted it to be. But mostly the characters! I love the characters, they're everything!

-My one complaint? I wish Hunyadi had lived!

-I finished Now I Rise and immediately missed it. I wish book 3 wasn't so far away!

Characters ★★★★★

Setting/world ★★★★★

Writing ★★★★★

ARC Review: And I Darken

The Conquerors Saga: And I Darken | Kirsten White

Published by: Delacorte Press, June 28th 2016

Genre: YA, Historical (with a fantasy feel)

Pages: 475

Format: Ebook

Source: Delacorte, via Netgalley

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. 

I'll start with the negative to get it out of the way. This book is much, much slower than I expected. I thought it'd be fast and action packed and brutal, and it kind of is all three but only in parts. The other issue is I did NOT like Radu, a POV character, in the least. He's whiny and just irritated me, though I did like seeing him grow as a person. Plus, I'm miffed because I thought Lada was the reason this book is LGBT but nope, another gay guy.

What I loved about this book, though, is Lada. She's fierce and merciless and she will never back down or compromise her ideals, even if it means killing someone or betraying someone she loves. I admired her so much for the lengths she was willing to go to to protect her family and friends. I didn't mind Mehmed, the other main character, though I much preferred Nicolae as a romantic interest. I particularly loved Lada's friendships with her men, and how she refused to be sexualised by them. This book is feminist as fuck, which is so up my street it's not even funny.

The book lagged in the middle, which made it feel like it went on FOREVER, but I was grateful for the extra time with the characters because their growth became more evident. I look forward to the next book to see where they go next.

Brutal but slow, with a lot of feeling for a girl renowned for being harsh and cruel. And I Darken has my favourite female character this year by a mile and a STUNNING setting. This is historical fiction for fantasy lovers.

Characters ★★★★☆

Setting/world ★★★★★

Writing ★★★★☆