And I Darken

Written by: Kiersten White

Publication:  June 28th 2016, by Delacorte Press

Date Read: Jan. 12, 2018

Would Recommend to: gritty historical fiction fans, patient readers

Rating: 2/5 stars

Before you totally knock my review because of the lower rating, hear me out. I actually really liked the content of this book. The character development was almost spot-on. Even historical characters (altered or not) were portrayed as humanly as possible, and it was nice to follow Lada, Radu, and Mehmed on their journey through their early childhood to young adult years.

Lada, our main protagonist, is the daughter of the vaivode of Wallachia in the mid-1400s, and she is crazy-crazy. But what is so captivating is that we see her transition through phases where she learns new lessons, good or bad. One recurring message is that in order to survive, one must convey no emotion, ESPECIALLY not love. Love will be the death of you. For most of her childhood, she yearns for her father's approval, despite being an ugly girl, making her useless for her country. The love her father eventually has for her, however slim and twisted, makes her and her brother, Radu, prisoners in the worst way possible to Lada: they are held in the very center of the Ottoman Empire as leverage. As a result of these morals she obtains, she becomes relentless, determined, powerful, calculating, and a little crazy.

As I mentioned before, Radu is Ladu's younger brother, though only by a couple years. He is quite the opposite of Lada: he's handsome, charming, sweet, sensitive, and LOVING. Unfortunately, that makes him a target as a kid, and Lada only sees him as weak. The sharp contrast between the two defies all stereotypes of the time period, but their relationship stays pretty strong throughout the novel.

The way in which these characters, as well as others throughout the book, are developed compels the reader to have sympathy for people, no matter their background. Seeing them grow up and change results in a strong attachment between reader and character. That, perhaps, is my favorite part of the book.

I also liked the historical significance, although I've seen slight controversy over the book's contents. If you don't know, Lada actually represents a female version of Vlad the Impaler, the infamous leader of Wallachia who's favorite method of execution was impaling (hence his title) and who was the spark that later fueled Wallachia's flame of independence from the Ottoman Empire. Mehmed the Conqueror, also a famous yet infamous ruler but of the Ottoman Empire, is also a major figure of this novel. Although timelines are skewed and White definitely took creative liberties, it's pretty intriguing to research real events and link them to the story. The twists on history actually made this book more interesting for me.

Last really good aspect of the book to mention is the politics. It is VERY interesting to watch the "threads of power," as Lada calls them, twist and turn throughout the story and to see how our protagonists twist them to their advantage, even betraying their own friends in order to secure power in the future. All in all, the plot was extremely well-developed, and I am definitely considering picking up the second one to try it out.

I know this is pretty anticlimactic, but the only major problem for me was the pacing of the book. My interest was lacking until I picked up the book and started reading. Once I put the book down to do something, nothing was itching in me to pick it up again. It as especially slow towards the beginning. Around a fourth of the way, the book slightly picks up. Then, about 3/4 in, the book really picks up nicely and sets a good pace. On a positive note, I have a good feeling about the second book; I think this first book was just setting a good foundation and that we'll get even more action and intrigue in the next installment.

Until then, au revoir, my fellow bookworms!