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.
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 ★★★★☆
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