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Summary
Summary
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 #1 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
Author Notes
Kiersten White is an author of fantasy books including And I Darken, Now I Rise, the Paranormalcy trilogy, Mind Games, Perfect Lies, The Chaos of Stars, and Illusions of Fate. She also co-wrote In the Shadows with Jim Di Bartolo.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (5)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 9 Up-White takes on Vlad the Impaler's story. Lada Dragwlya, daughter of Vlad and sister to Radu, loves her country of Wallachia more than anything. She wants to be able to rule her own life there, so she becomes vicious and strong. When she and Radu are held as captives by the sultan of the Ottoman Empire, she wants nothing more than to protect her brother and return home, but she and her brother both fall for the future sultan, Mehmed. Lada earns her right to protect Mehmed by fighting with the soldiers and becoming a military leader, and Radu learns the secrets of Mehmed's court by converting to Islam, dancing, and going to parties; both siblings earn Mehmed's love in different ways. After Mehmed becomes sultan, Lada and Radu are faced with a difficult decision. Fiona Hardingham conveys perfectly the dangerous plottings of court intrigue, the dark and bloody events, and the romantic affairs through her tones and inflections. This first book in the series is more historical romance, with the love triangle driving most of the plot, but bloody murders also abound, as would be expected in a book about the Impaler. The story does not strictly adhere to the historical record, but Mehmed's obsession with Constantinople and Vlad's cruelty are both based on facts. VERDICT Give this to readers who enjoy twists on history with romance, particularly fans of Eleanor Herman's Legacy of Kings. ["The novel is breathtakingly good": SLJ 5/16 starred review of the Delacorte book.]-Sarah Flood, Breckinridge County Public Library, Hardinsburg, KY © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
What if Vlad Tepes, the historical inspiration for Dracula, had actually been a fearsome and brilliant teenage girl? That's the question raised in this alternate history, first in a trilogy. Set in the mid-15th century, first in Wallachia and then in the Ottoman Empire, the narrative focuses on Ladislav "Lada" Dragwyla and her younger brother, Radu (later known as the Handsome), who are sent by their father to act as royal hostages in the Ottoman Court of Sultan Murad. There, the ambitious Lada chafes at the limited options available to women, Radu converts to Islam, and both fall for the charismatic prince Mehmed, resulting in an awkward love triangle. White (Illusions of Fate) draws heavily on historical figures and events to craft this slow-burning tale, which focuses more on characterization and drama than on setting and detail; subtle commentary on gender, religious conflict, and geopolitical strife winds up overshadowed by churning romantic emotions. Given the historical bloodshed in which the novel is based, it comes across as somewhat sanitized, though grisly days seem likely in future installments. Ages 12-up. Agent: Michelle Wolfson, Wolfson Literary Agency. (June) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
Lada and brother Radu, Wallachian hostages in the Ottoman court, befriend the sultan's son, Mehmed. As the three become embroiled in political intrigue, their characters and dynamics are complicated and deepened by a love triangle and the solace Radu finds in Islam. Brutally determined, fiercely protective warrior-girl Lada--White's imagining of a young, female Vlad the Impaler--is perhaps historically implausible, but utterly compelling. Glos. (c) Copyright 2017. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
A historical reimagining that asks: what if Vlad the Impaler had been a woman? This history diverges at the birth of Vlad Dracul's daughter, a Ladislav instead of another Vlad. Young Lada is ugly, vicious, and borderline feral, especially in comparison to her sensitive, sweet younger brother, Radu. While beautiful Radu's tormented for his weaknesses, Lada's brutality makes her a natural at their court. But when their father's precarious position forces him to flee to the Ottoman sultan for help, the sultan takes Lada and Radu hostage to ensure their father's loyalty. Lada hates everything about the cultural-melting-pot empire that's brought her own country so low; Radu takes to it well, finding comfort in converting to Islam. Both siblings are drawn to Mehmed, the sultan's third son, who's suddenly the heir. These three primary characters repeatedly learn the hard way how slippery and illusory power is. Ladaso ugly and mean that readers will adore herstubbornly rejects gender roles, yearns to liberate her country, and yet also falls for Mehmed for seeing her as an equal. The political mechanisms are endlessly twisty, and the characters, though they sometimes don't read as their given ages, benefit from complex motivations and an unconventional love triangle. Addictive intrigue that will send readers to history books as a balm while waiting for the sequel. (dramatis personae, glossary, author's note; not seen) (Historical fiction. 12 up) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
*Starred Review* Lada and Radu, adolescent daughter and son of Wallachian Prince Vlad Dracul, are hostages held by the Ottoman Empire to assure their father's cooperation with the Turks. Radu settles in and builds a life over time, while prickly Lada continues to dream of home. The Sultan's son, Mehmed, soon claims them as companions, and the three grow up together planning for his time on the empire's throne. This historical-romance trilogy opener is an engrossing tale of the Ottoman Empire during the early to mid-1400s. White deftly weaves historical fact (and the real-life figure who served as inspiration for Dracula) into this complex concoction of love, war, politics, homosexuality, religion, loyalty, and friendship. There is plenty of action, but the fully developed characters, who age from approximately 12 to 20 over the course of the book, are the engine by which this expansive story works. Details of court and military life emerge through these characters' interactions, never bogging down the plot, only enriching the tapestry created. The author has left herself multiple opportunities for exploration, and it isn't clear which direction sequels may take, but the next volume will likely be highly anticipated. Maps and back matter, including an author's note, were unavailable at the time of this review. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: White achieved best-seller status with her Paranormalcy trilogy and will get an extra push from the publisher's extensive marketing campaign. Expect plenty of demand for this one.--Welch, Cindy Copyright 2016 Booklist