Book Review: And I Darken

Author: Kiersten White
Genre: Historical
Published: 2016, Delacorte Press
Rating: 4/5 Stars

Lada and Radu, children of the prince of Wallachia, are left in the grip of the Ottoman Empire as political leverage. Lada plots her revenge while her more gentle brother Radu only wants to find somewhere he can call home. They are befriended by Mehmed, the son of the sultan, and a complex tangle of relationships is created. When Mehmed becomes ruler of the empire Lada seeks revenge against, their relationship is tested.

I was incredibly surprised by this book, mostly because I've read three of Kiersten White's other books and strongly disliked them all. I admit, And I Darken is horribly slow. There isn't much action. It's very complicated, subtle, and political, but that's what made me like it more than Kiersten's other books. This was marketed as "a Vlad the Impaler retelling but Vlad is a girl."

The characters felt so much like real people. Lada and Radu were so different from each other, but they still possessed a strong sibling bond. I just found everything in this book so believable, despite the fact that it's an alternate history novel. Honestly, I'm happy I listened to most of this on audio, because I would have been so lost on how to pronounce pretty much everything.

Jannisaries? Wallachia? Dragwyla?

I really loved Lada. Her interactions with other characters were so entertaining; I never knew what she would do or say. She was snarky, confident, and such a refreshing character. Radu was the more softhearted sibling. Although he was very cunning, he wasn't as interested in fighting as Lada was. They balanced each other nicely. Mehmed, on the other hand, I wasn't a fan of. He was selfish and took advantage of Lada and Radu's loyalty to him. I was waiting for him to die. Unfortunately, he didn't. 

I would recommend this book for fans of Game of Thrones. It's got the same slow-paced, politics-driven kind of plot. The intricacies of the characters and the world made it a worthwhile read for me, though. If you're easily bored, maybe skip this one.