Trigger warnings: Abuse against women, sexual assault, homophobia, Islamophobia, violence
Synopsis: 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.
Review: Let me just preface this by saying that I don't read a lot of historical fiction. That being said, I have enjoyed some of Kiersten White's other works, so I wanted to give And I Darken a shot. I honestly didn't care about Lada as a character. She embodies this idea that you have to be mean and hateful in order to be considered a strong female, and I hate that idea. I did find myself drawn to Radu and I think I would have enjoyed this story more if it was from his perspective. He was wicked smart and I loved seeing how he got himself out of certain situations. That being said, he is also a pushover. He is one of those people who will get walked all over constantly.
One thing I've seen people comment on is the poor pacing, and I agree. Granted, there isn't a great way to pace this book properly. We see how Lada is treated by her family when she is a very young girl, but most of the story happens when she's a teenager. There were some plot elements that I enjoyed quite a bit towards the end, but there were still a number of areas where And I Darken was lacking. I felt like this could have included some interesting perspectives on religion, sexuality, the idea of a found family, and some other things, but it didn't feel like these areas were explored as well as they could have been which was disappointing.
A really interesting concept with poor pacing and development.
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