Title: And I Darken
Series: The Conquerer's Saga #1
Author: Kiersten White
Genre: YA Fantasy
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Pub Date: June 28, 2016
Rating: 5 Stars
Our thoughts...
A few
times a year I pick up a great novel, and I will admit to you reader that I am
a huge cover snob. I always go through the book section at my local Target, and
low and behold this cover whispered sweet nothings. It’s stunning. It’s dark.
It’s oh so lovely. I didn’t even read the blurb till I got home. I just had to
have this. During the holidays when I
have a spare moment or two I try to read what I can as time permits. It’s quite
a long read, and as with any Fantasy I dive into I have to take my time or I
will get all confused, and have to go back. Well in this day and age I don’t have a chance to go back. Anyway, I am SO glad
I went on the journey with these three. It was indulgent if I may…
The central premise is the author turned Lada
Dragwlya into Vlad the Impaler. Yes that one, but here it’s not a story of a
vampire. It’s a story with some pretty good history behind it. Think Ottoman Empire times in the 1400’s. The author did an
excellent job turning this into something of her own. I felt that she had the
cultures down as well because let’s face
it back then times were way different regarding
culture. We see Lada struggle with this when she meets Mehmed. Her brother Radu
is everything you could ever want on the outside, but on the inside, he struggles. When he is born his
father Vlad cannot stand the weakness he brings, and when Lada is born the
whole world is shit, because she is a girl, and she isn’t beautiful like Radu.
Things happen, and we see both of them
grow up throughout this journey. I don’t want to spoil the rich detail and time
the author wrote for us, so I will let you be the judge. Just know that this
novel will have you laughing, crying and dropping your jaw. It did me. I felt
very connected to Lada and Radu both as we get to dive into the minds of them
both. Two very different people, yet two of the same heart. I don’t really know how I will make it until June. The ending just gutted me. So much
heavy. Please take a chance on this. 5 Stars.
“It felt
like fighting. It felt like falling. It felt like dying.” – Lada
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