Synopsis: Haunted by the sacrifices he made in Constantinople, Radu is called back to the new capital. Mehmed is building an empire, becoming the sultan his people need. But Mehmed has a secret: as emperor, he is more powerful than ever . . . and desperately lonely. Does this mean Radu can finally have more with Mehmed . . . and would he even want it?
Lada's rule of absolute justice has created a Wallachia free of crime. But Lada won't rest until everyone knows that her country's borders are inviolable. Determined to send a message of defiance, she has the bodies of Mehmed's peace envoy delivered to him, leaving Radu and Mehmed with no choice. If Lada is allowed to continue, only death will prosper. They must go to war against the girl prince.
But Mehmed knows that he loves her. He understands her. She must lose to him so he can keep her safe. Radu alone fears that they are underestimating his sister's indomitable will. Only by destroying everything that came before--including her relationships--can Lada truly build the country she wants.
Claim the throne. Demand the crown. Rule the world.
Review: No one is more surprised than me with how much I enjoyed reading Bright We Burn. The other books were okay, but I went into this not expecting a whole lot. I still didn't like Lada or her view on being a woman. She kept aggressively fighting against any connection to being a female. That wouldn't have bothered me as much if she genuinely seemed to identify as a male, but she doesn't. I understand the whole, "Oh god I'm ugly. Time to be cruel and reject anything feminine." Trust me. I get it. But I just wanted her to chill. I loved Radu though. I always liked him throughout the series, but I loved seeing his motivations really flourish in Bright We Burn. He also wrestles a lot with how he feels about Mehmed and Lada.
Again, much to my surprise, I enjoyed the overall story. It was far more engaging than the other books and, even though it had been a few weeks since I read the first 2 books, I was in this story from page 1. I'm pretty sure a large part of why I enjoyed Bright We Burn is because we get to see Radu, Mehmed, and Lada all rise to power, and manipulate people to serve their interests. Seeing them all work against each other after they were such good friends was fascinating. There was also a great scene with Radu when he talks about faith and sexuality. I loved that scene so much. He was talking from the perspective of a Muslim but, as someone who grew up in a deeply Christian town, the hateful remarks tend to be the same. I appreciated that a lot for anyone who wrestles with sexuality and faith of any kind.
Very satisfying end to the trilogy. I'm really glad I pushed through the other books.
4 howls
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