Back of Book: 

No one expects a princess to be brutal. And Lada Dragwyla likes it that way.

Ever since she and her brother were abandoned by their father to be raised in the Ottoman sultan’s courts, Lada has known that ruthlessness is the key to survival. For the lineage that makes her and her brother special also makes them targets.

Lada hones her skills as a warrior as she nurtures plans to wreak revenge on the empire that holds her captive. Then she and Radu meet the sultan’s son, Mehmed, and everything changes. Now Mehmed unwittingly stands between Lada and Radu as they transform from siblings to rivals, and the ties of love and loyalty that bind them together are stretched to breaking point.

The first of an epic new trilogy starring the ultimate anti-princess who does not have a gentle heart. Lada knows how to wield a sword, and she'll stop at nothing to keep herself and her brother alive.

Book Number: One

Genre: Young Adult | Historical | Romance | LGBTQIA+ 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

A vicious, bloody, and enthralling alternate history of some of the world's greatest conquers in a never before seen fashion.

Lada Dragwlya is the princess of Wallachia. Despite this, she's vicious, she's dangerous, and she's cruel. And one day, she will be known as Lada the Impaler. This is her origin story. From the very beginning, Lada has had a rough childhood, and she knows that the only way to survive is to be the most ruthless in the room. Unbeknownst to many, the only thing she truly cares for is her younger brother, who will one day be known as Radu the Handsome. Caught deep in the midst of political warfare, the two siblings are ripped from their home to be raised in the Ottoman courts. There, they meet the stunning Mehmed, the defiant son of the reigning sultan—and the future Mehmed the Conquer. History has its eye on the three youngsters for they will grow up to be some of the deadliest conqueror's the world has ever seen. And there is much more than just their lives and kingdoms on the line, but their hearts and loyalties too. . .

Going into this series, I expected it to be an average young adult fantasy series. Boy, was I wrong. In reality, this was one of grittiest historical reimaginings I have ever encountered. One of my friends is a bit obsessed with Vlad the Impaler, so I recognized the signs immediately when I read the first page. Taking one of history's most notorious conquerors and gender-bending them is such a cool concept and young Lada did not disappoint. It was super intriguing to trace her dark origins back to her roots and see how her aggressive childhood led to her becoming the ruthless image of "the Impaler" that we know today.

I love all three of the main characters in this one. Lada is one of the most twisted protagonists I have ever read about and all of her decisions keep me on my toes; I truly never know what this gal is going to do next. Radu is a literal sweetheart and I want to protect him from the horrific world that he finds himself thrust into. And Mehmed is such a charmer; it's understandable why Lada and Radu both adore him so much. White did a fantastic job of crafting all three of these characters into real people with desires, feelings, and depth. I think it would be extremely difficult to make the reader like characters that I know do horrible things throughout their lifetimes, but I still find myself rooting for them (though I suppose Lada will only get more morally dark and vicious as the story progresses). White did a fantastic job of making these three horrifying legends seem very. . . human.

This book feels so immersive. Despite the action being set back in the 1400s, I feel like it is super easy to imagine the world that this series is set in. Between the ancient castles, the bizarreness of court life, the never ending strands of concubines, the extreme training exercises, and the political warfare, I felt completely immersed in this ancient landscape. I can tell White really put her time and effort into her research.

The themes in this one are also spot on. I especially love the exploration of sexuality. Lada hates women and often despises the fact that she is one. I think that this is extremely interesting due to the fact that her character is based on someone who used to be male. Knowing some of the things I know about Vlad the Impaler, I'm interested to see if and how certain elements of his persona will be blended into Lada. For example, he was known for staking women through the vagina if they had pre-marital sex. Interestingly enough, Lada is very opposed to having sexual relationships despite her longing for more intimate relations with certain characters. She views that her body is one of the few things she can control and that having a child would complete destroy who she is as a person. There is most definitely some interesting parallels and Lada's character growth has me very intrigued. Her brother, Radu, also is conflicted with the topic of sexuality. For it being the 1400s, he is very alarmed when he starts having romantic feelings towards people of the same sex as himself. I find putting the historical lens on issues of sexuality often make them even more impactful due to the acute pressure put on the characters and the extreme lengths they have to go to try to find happiness.

The only critique I have on this one is its length. The book is extremely detailed and follows Lada literally from the moment she is born. I love getting the origin story and seeing where life takes her, but some of the middle sections drag on a bit. I think my biggest concern was the meandering of the story and my general unease of not seeing where the plot was going about halfway through the book. I really did enjoy my time with these three royals though, and I know this book is doing a bunch of set-up work for the remainder of the trilogy.

Overall, I really enjoyed "And I Darken." It has been awhile since I've read a book this dark and twisted, and I really thought it was a fun ride. I love the detailed history, the morally grayness of the characters, and the often bizarre nature of the story. It's aggressive, it's dark, it's sensual; it really checked all the boxes when it comes to dark historical reimaginings! I cannot wait to check out the rest of this series, despite the length of the trilogy!

Back of Book: 

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.

Book Number: Two

Genre: Young Adult | Historical | Romance | LGBTQIA+ 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟 

The bloodthirsty Lada the Impaler and her loyal to a fault brother Radu the Handsome are faced with even higher stakes in book two of White's "The Conqueror Saga."

After going against both her beloved brother, Radu, and her sporadic lover, Mehmed, Lada Dracul has failed to acquire the throne of Wallachia. Now, she will do anything it takes to win back the kingdom that is rightfully hers. Even if it means betraying the only allies that have ever been on her side. Unfortunately, brute force alone isn't enough to get Lada everything she wants in life. If only she had her brother by her side. . . But Mehmed has sent Radu to Constantinople as a spy to gain intelligence in hopes of turning the tide of his conquest. In the city of Mehmed's desires, Radu is conflicted in many ways. Where should his loyalty truly lie? With Mehmed, who has only ever used him as a tool, but at least values him as a friend? With his sister Lada, who has also used him time and again to achieve her nefarious schemes? Or the the innocent people of Constantinople, who have done nothing to deserve the bloody deaths that Mehmed's plans for them? Radu has never felt more torn in his life, and it only becomes more messy as he becomes closer to his "enemies" within the cities walls. Both siblings will have to sacrifice much to achieve their ambitions, but are they even fighting for the right things?

White has truly penned a historical masterpiece with this series. However, I just didn't enjoy reading this book nearly as much as the first one. I feel that the majority of the plot just went around in circles as the siblings tried to decide where their true allegiances lie. I understand that war and political alliances are beyond messy and there really isn't another way to write a series like this that isn't sometimes long winded with actions that are seemingly pointless or detrimental in the long run. Personally though, this just isn't my favorite type of book.

One thing I enjoyed about this one is seeing the struggles that Radu and Lada both experienced with their loyalties, sexualities, and life desires. Both siblings want to run back to Mehmed, whom they both desire for various reasons. However, destiny has flung them deep into the path of conquest and they must choose to either fight or die in the complicated webs of war. Lada still struggles with her identity as a woman, but is also starting to learn to cope with it more. There are many plans and tactics that she employs that only function due to her womanhood and she begins to realize that if she was born a man, she probably wouldn't have turned into the fighter that she is today. Radu on the other hand, is still grappling with his forbidden love and is confronted with an entirely different issue of the heart: another man that he can't seem to stop thinking about. I found it interesting to read of Radu's struggle with his feelings and my heart truly goes out to this poor kid. He has already been through so much pain in his life, and the fact that he has fallen for two people who don't return his love is quite tragic for the poor lad. On a side note, I really love the platonic relationship he has with his wife Nazira. It is so sweet and I love the extreme lengths the two of them are willing to go for each other. Of course, this makes Radu's situation even more complicated.

Once again, the historical atmosphere of this series truly takes my breath away. It is so easy to be swept away in White's words and imagine this alternative history that she has created. I'm not a huge history buff, but I can still feel all of the effort that she put into writing this series and I'm astonished by how much research she must have put into Lada, Radu, and Mehmed's story.

Overall, I wish that "Now I Rise" would have been a little less repetitive and that the action would have picked up a tad faster. I still really enjoyed reading about the trio's complicated web of history that they are creating amongst the three of them, but I could feel the book start to drag as I got about halfway through. I'm intrigued to see how this series ends, especially because I know a bit about history and things don't really go all that swell for Lada or Mehmed's real life counterparts. I'm interested to see if Radu can someone skirt his way to a happily ever after or if the author boldly bends history to her whim. However, I think I'm going to take a bit of a break before diving into the next one. These books are long, historical reads and I can already start to feel the burnout. I think I'll enjoy the book more if I pause for a bit and read something else, so that is the course of action I'm going to take.

Back of Book: 

SOME LOVES HEAL

Haunted over the unknown fates of Nazira and Cyprian, Radu is called back to the new capital. Mehmed is building an empire, becoming the sultan his people need. But Mehmed has a secret: as emperor, he is more powerful than ever... and desperately lonely. Does this mean Radu can finally have more with Mehmed... and would he even want it?

SOME LOVES DESTROY

Lada's rule of absolute justice has created a Wallachia free of crime. But Lada won't rest until everyone knows that her country's borders are inviolable. Determined to send a message of defiance, she has the bodies of Mehmed's peace envoy delivered to him, leaving Radu and Mehmed with no choice. If Lada is allowed to continue, only death will prosper. They must go to war against the girl prince, who has truly become the dragon.

SOME LOVE NEVER ENDS

Only by destroying everything that came before—including her relationships—can Lada truly build the country she wants. Radu fears that they are underestimating his sister's indomitable will. But Mehmed knows that he loves Lada. He understands her. She must lose to him so he can keep her safe. It is the only way... isn't it?

Claim the throne. Demand the crown. Rule the world.

Book Number: Three (Last Book) 

Genre: Young Adult | Historical | Romance | LGBTQIA+ 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

An emotional conclusion to a thrilling historical saga that is just as ruthless, bloody, and heartfelt as its predecessors in "The Conqueror's Saga." 

Radu has sacrificed near everything all in the hopes that his sister, Lada Dracul, and his childhood best friend and crush, Mehmed the Conqueror, will love him back. But after the sacrifices he made in Constantinople, he may have lost the faith of the only three people who truly love him for who he is. Meanwhile, Lada is is working towards a Wallachia free of crime and disloyalty. In her kingdom, one follows the rules or is staked to death to set an example for others. Lada will not have her kingdom's borders disputed or be forced to remain a vassal state, and she is willing to go to devastatingly bloody lengths in order to send a message. Lada, Radu, and Mehmed may be forced to destroy each other to acquire the life (and kingdom) that they truly desire. 

Honestly, I was surprised by how much I ended up liking the conclusion to this series. It has been a bit of time since I've read the earlier installments and they both drug for me. However, I feel that they were worth reading to experience the conclusion that is "Bright We Burn." The relationship between Lada, Radu, and Mehmed are so complex and the things that have to sacrifice to achieve their ambitions are nuts. Seriously, it was hard to predict what these three were willing to do, especially to get back at one another. 

It was very entertaining (and disturbing) to see Lada the Impaler come to life in this novel. She is ruthless, merciless, and out for the blood of her enemies. There were so many in moments in this book that had me gasping at the monstrous things that Lada did, especially when she did them to large amounts of people. It's crazy to think that she is based on a real person who was that vicious in real life. Though Radu fights for peace and love, he also caught me off guard on some of the things that he did throughout this novel. I mean, it makes since due to the fact that him and Lada grew up together, but man, he is such a cunning and charming character in his own right. 

One of the things I really enjoyed about this series was diving into LGBTQIA+ representation from a historical perspective. It was so hard to watch Radu pine for Mehmed the entire series, but it was also so validating to watch him help Nazira and Fatima find their happily ever after as well as to see him eventually fall in love with Cyprian. Also, Theodora was such a cute addition to their found family! I truly adore their little groupie and am glad that (mostly) everything worked out in the end. 

The platonic relationships in this series were also so powerful. Between Radu's bonds with Nazira and Fatima and Lada with her men (especially Bogdan and Nicolae), I truly adored their devotion to one another and all the pain that they are willing to go through in order to help each other out. And let's not forget about Lada and Radu. Their sibling relationship is so complex, but the longing they feel for each other and the lengths they still go to protect each other is crazy, especially when you account all the horrible things they have both done and their burning passion for Mehmed. 

Overall, "Bright We Burn" was a stunning conclusion to a delightfully aggressive historical saga that had my emotions tangled with wanting to help out all the characters despite all the horrible things that they have done throughout their lives. I have never read anything surrounding this time period nor Vlad the Impaler, so this series really stands out to me. On top of that, it dives into deep questions about loyalty, defining one's sexuality, politics, grief, love, and the devastation of war. If you are willing to sit through around a thousand pages of backstabbing, assassinations, brutal warfare, unrequited love, and many other forms of devastation, I cannot recommend this series enough!