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.

Ladislav Dragwlya is Vlad Dracul’s, prince of Wallachia, second legitimate child, but also a daughter. In a time where her gender represents a problem in accomplishing her dreams, she will have to be everything more – more brutal, more ferocious and more determined. Her brother Radu is everything but ferocious, and, when taken to Edirne as a guarantee their father won’t betray the Ottomans again, he has to learn other means of staying alive. Court schemes and secrets are no strangers to him at the age of sixteen, while Lada spends all her time training with Jannisaries and dreaming of returning to Wallachia. As they befriend future sultan Mehmed, and their friendship grows into something more (feelings develop for both of them), their allegiances start to switch. Radu finds a new home there, both in Islam and Mehmed, but Lada refuses to let go of her homeland until she realizes there is still something holding her there.

Who would say that I’d start reading a book set in the exact location and time period as my history lessons? I actually had no idea what was I going into until I started this book, but it turned out I already knew a lot about this topic which only made it more interesting (plus, now I have less to study for my history exam xd).

And I Darken is set in Ottoman Empire, following a story of Wallachian siblings and heirs to Draculesti line. I immensely enjoyed reading about events on the political scene of 19-century Europe and politics regarding the Ottoman Empire and its vassals. White shaped a really inspiring story of cultures, religions, wars, politics and court intrigues while following perspectives of two really different figures. It was really diverting to read about historical schemes and military tactics, yet still remaining inside the frame of YA literature – characters I could wholeheartedly relate with. The cultural sphere this book covers was really inspiring, especially representing differences between two religions and cultures that come with them.

The biggest problem of this book represented the lack of dynamics within the plot. As much as life at one of the biggest empires in the history of mankind sounds interesting, the absence of action makes it monotonous, even slightly boring to read. About the first third of the book covers events from Lada and Radu’s childhood and then starts their imprisonment and life with the Ottomans. Novel mainly focuses on the characters and their development, the way certain circumstances and happenings shaped their personality. And that is mostly it – aside from a lot of character development and their accommodating to a new life and growing up, there isn’t much else this book has to offer. It was pretty weak with action and any attempts to heat things up. The culmination of the plot was achieved in the last few chapters, and even that has been pretty short and predictable. In fact, the best part of this book came at the very end, when each character was faced with a painful decision regarding their future and further growth.



Lada