And I Darken » Book Review

And I Darken was an utterly fascinating and unique YA book that I really appreciated. It is a historical fiction novel set in the 1400s based on a female Vlad the Impaler.

The words fascinating and unique don't do it justice. It was fucked up and brutal featuring characters that are humanly flawed and atypical of YA fiction.

The Characters

Our novel follows two main perspectives, that of Lada and her younger brother, Radu. Lada is no ordinary princess. She is a vicious, brutal girl who seeks power in a world where women are afforded none.

"Lada had a sense for power - the fine threads that connected everyone around her, the way those threads could be pulled, tigthened, wrapped around someone until they cut off the blood supply. Or snapped entirely. She had a few threads at her disposal. She wanted all of them."

She isn't always a very likeable character, but she remains sincere to who she is. She makes choices that alienates her from her only family, Radu. Most of the time, she does it for his benefit, even if he isn't aware of it. There was a scene that almost moved me to tears... [spoiler] when Lada allowed Radu to be beaten for her insolence so that they would never think to use Radu against her again [/spoiler].

Radu is a soft, gentle boy who makes the best of his situation in the Ottoman empire. He is quick to adapt and embrace Islam as a source of comfort, while Lada still rages against the empire for keeping her against her will. While Lada is strength and brawn, Radu learns to use his charm and winning smile to his advantage within the royal court.

Radu and Lada accidentally run into Mehmet one day at the gardens. And from that moment, the trio become inseparable. Mehmet is the son of the Sultan, though he is mostly ignored and left to his own devices. The story really takes off when we see the relationship develop individually between Lada and Mehmet, and Radu and Mehmet, as well as the relationship that unfolds among the three of them. We watch them learn and act upon the concept of love and loyalty, and what it means to be friends with a prince who is destined for great things.

Closing Thoughts

Kiersten White did an excellent job of weaving the story with history, war, and religion. Obviously White took some liberties with the historical accuracy of this book. But I believe that the mark of a wonderful historical fiction book, is when the reader is left with the urge to explore the history surrounding the novel. And I can say that I now have a fascination with the Ottoman empire and intend to do study it further. Especially since I had no knowledge of it prior to reading this book.

My favorite quote:
"I think of you like a sister," he said. "Like a brilliant, violent, occasionally terrifying sister that I would follow to the ends of the earth, in part because I respected her so much and in part because I feared what she would do to me if I refused."
She nodded. "I would do awful things."