No one expects a princess to be brutal. And Lada Dragwlya likes it that way. Ever since she and her gentle younger brother, Radu, were wrenched from their homeland of Wallachia and abandoned by their father to be raised in the Ottoman courts, Lada has known that being ruthless is the key to survival. She and Radu are doomed to act as pawns in a vicious game, an unseen sword hovering over their every move. For the lineage that makes them special also makes them targets.
Lada despises the Ottomans and bides her time, planning her vengeance for the day when she can return to Wallachia and claim her birthright. Radu longs only for a place where he feels safe. And when they meet Mehmed, the defiant and lonely son of the sultan, Radu feels that he’s made a true friend—and Lada wonders if she’s finally found someone worthy of her passion.
But Mehmed is heir to the very empire that Lada has sworn to fight against—and that Radu now considers home. Together, Lada, Radu, and Mehmed form a toxic triangle that strains the bonds of love and loyalty to the breaking point.
The Review
Wow, where do I even begin with this book?
I was initially nervous about a female Vlad The Impaler but trust me when I say that it works!
To be honest, I had to force myself to get through the first half-ish part of the story because I am seriously weird about kids as protagonists. Maybe my own age makes it feel strange but I've already been through puberty and all the awkwardness that comes with it, I do not need to relive it. It isn't that young Lada and Radu aren't interesting, because they certainly are; I just enjoy struggles that come with adulthood. If you're anything like me you will want to stay with the book because once they do grow up the action just doesn't stop.
White has brought a to life a period of time that isn't usually written about in YA and I enjoyed the different scenery and cultures. I'm not really sure why this is being called fantasy because it isn't; alternate history, sure, but it bears closer relations to historical than it does to fantasy.
Prepare for many, many mood swings and brooding should you decide to read this book, and I really recommend that you do.
