And I Darken by Kiersten White is a wonderfully intoxicating historical fiction novel with a little twist. Vlad the Impaler… is a girl. Ladislav “Lada” Dragwlya and her brother, Radu, are political prisoners in the Ottoman court to keep their father, ruler of Wallachia, in line. There they meet Mehmed, the son of the sultan, their sworn enemy.
I loved this book. White took imposing historical figures and brought them to life, made them lovable, even. I loved Lada’s protective instincts toward Radu even though she is aggravated by his “weakness,” which is his inability to fight or defend himself. Usually I have a harder time relating to historical figures written as characters, but White’s writing helped me relate to them and understand their choices. The only things I disliked were the unannounced POV switches and the love triangle in the end. I would have liked labeled chapters, with clear indication of who the narration would focus on. The book is written in the third person, but it is focused on either Radu or Lada at any given time except when they're together in a scene, and it was sometimes difficult for me to figure out who was being talked about. Lastly, the love triangle. Sigh. This was actually tolerable for a love triangle story, and *bonus,* medieval LGBT rep. However, I felt it was kind of sprung upon the readers. At least, I did not expect it based on the blurb. I have not read other reviews of this book, so I'm not sure what others thought. The book is heavily medievally political (not sure if that's a thing), so when they get older, towards the end, that's when the romance develops. Complications ensue, because medieval politics. Overall, I would give this book 4.5 stars, and I will definitely be picking up any sequels.
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The BaronessHey, I'm Shreya! I love to read, write, travel, and drink tea. Disclosure: I am an affiliate of bookshop.org and I will earn a small commission if you click the above link and make a purchase.
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