Kiersten White: Now I Rise (The Conqueror's Saga #2) | Lara
Lada Dracul has no allies. No throne. All she has is what she’s always had: herself. After failing to secure the Wallachian throne, Lada is out to punish anyone who dares to cross her blood-strewn path. Filled with a white-hot rage, she storms the countryside with her men, accompanied by her childhood friend Bogdan, terrorizing the land. But brute force isn’t getting Lada what she wants. And thinking of Mehmed brings little comfort to her thorny heart. There’s no time to wonder whether he still thinks about her, even loves her. She left him before he could leave her.What Lada needs is her younger brother Radu’s subtlety and skill. But Mehmed has sent him to Constantinople—and it’s no diplomatic mission. Mehmed wants control of the city, and Radu has earned an unwanted place as a double-crossing spy behind enemy lines. Radu longs for his sister’s fierce confidence—but for the first time in his life, he rejects her unexpected plea for help. Torn between loyalties to faith, to the Ottomans, and to Mehmed, he knows he owes Lada nothing. If she dies, he could never forgive himself—but if he fails in Constantinople, will Mehmed ever forgive him?As nations fall around them, the Dracul siblings must decide: what will they sacrifice to fulfill their destinies? Empires will topple, thrones will be won . . . and souls will be lost.
She was a dragon. She was a prince. She was the only hope Wallachia had of ever prospering. And she would do whatever it took to get there.
In the second installment of The Conqueror's Saga by Kiersten White, the plot continues a year after the events at the end of And I Darken. Lada had departed for Wallachia in order to take the throne, but after a year she is still empty-handed. She has no allies and, besides her men, is completely by herself. She is willing to do anything for Wallachia and won’t stop until she claims what is rightfully hers. After finding out Mehmed has been communicating with her enemies, feelings of spite and resentment towards his betrayal appear. After coming across Hunyadi, a famous Hungarian commander, an unexpected alliance opens many new doors and leads her to new opportunities.
Radu, whose diplomatic skills Lada needs but would never admit that to him or anyone else, is sent to Constantinople to be an inside man during the siege. Torn between his loyalty to Mehmed and his refusal to destroy more lives, he realizes his love for Mehmed has been nothing but poison to his soul. During many hard months and after seeing terrible things, he finds his heart changing for the first time in many years.
As it was the case in the first book, Now I Rise has a chronic case of action shortage. I really liked the setting of the book and its composure, but White really kept killing the vibe she so carefully created. Amongst all schemes, betrayals, plans and political intrigues I still felt like it was not enough. One would think there would be tons of battles and materials for action in 19th-century Ottoman Empire, but aside from minor confrontations and one siege, I was perpetually disappointed.
Lada’s storyline was perhaps the most interesting to follow since she basically just kept being badass the whole time. While her journey of taking back Wallachia was dynamic and interesting, even including few direct conflicts with Ottoman forces, Radu’s perspective was boring me to death. Half of his time in Constantinople got reduced to that endless siege. It was quite monotonous to read about it and by the end of the book, I was begging the Ottomans to finish it already. There simply cannot be anything interesting in several months of bombing the walls.
Despite all the faults I noticed in the book’s pacing, the historical component is so damn good. I never thought I’d be interested in that particular period, but after a while, I just couldn’t resist researching some of the events book described on my own. White’s writing and amazing implementation of her story in historical events are simply amazing and I’m so fucking ready for the last book to see where it goes.
Lada
As I mentioned before, Now I Rise had pretty bad pacing and no action, but it was extremely rich with character development. It focuses on characters’ inner and outer shaping so much that it feels like the sole purpose of the book was only to prepare characters for what comes next. I managed to fall in love with Lada about fifty times, and it was probably every time she spoke. Her character has taken the most amazing turn, separating herself from toxic Mehmed and traitorous brother who keeps choosing Mehmed over her. She was willing to do anything (ANYTHING!) to get her throne, and with the loyalty of her men and pure determination *spoiler* she does it.
Radu
I’m still not a big fan of Radu, but the events of the second book brought an interesting insight in him. I feel like this book included an important process for both Radu and Lada, and that is putting distance between him and Mehmed and loosening emotional hold he has on them. Radu witnessed great horror’s in Constantinople and it changes him a great deal. We can see his feelings from Mehmed slowly disappearing, and perhaps, being replaced with something else – a chance of getting those feelings returned. I still think him a weakling, but well they all can’t be a queen like Lada Dracul.
To Radu, my brother,
I do not acknowledge your new title, nor Mehmed’s. Tell the lying coward I send no congratulations. He sent none to me when I took my throne in spite of him. You did not choose right. Tell Mehmed Wallachia is mine.
With all defiance,
Lada Dracul, Prince of Wallachia
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