This is a spoiler-free review!
I bought the third book in this series about six years ago and finally decided enough was enough and it was time for me to crack open this series. I was under the impression that this was a young adult series, however much to my surprise the main characters are children, and then as the book goes on, they age up into their teens. This was not something that I was looking for, and I am not a major fan of reading early teen books, but I was determined to see this through.
To be quite honest, this book put me into a reading slump - I was on a roll, and this book basically put my mind and comprehension skills on halt. I was really intrigued by the premise of this series, and the Ottoman Empire is something I have not tackled extensively when it came to historical fiction, so I certainly did not expect this turnout. That being said, this book made a complete 180 once it hit the 60% mark - I was drawn in and truly captivated. If the world building had moved at a quicker pace, I definitely think I would have enjoyed the story more.
Lada is such an interesting and complex character - you see from the start that as a girl, she is undervalued and pushed aside in favor of of her younger brother, but as karma would have it, she is everything that they wanted her brother to be. As we watch their upbringing from childhood, it is evident that Lada's hostility toward her brother is due to her being cast aside from her father, and the cruelness she displays is an act of self preservation.
On the other hand, her brother, Radu, is sensitive, gentle, and finds comfort in his nurse rather than in the prospects of ruling. We see him go through a number of obstacles and hardships, mostly at the hands of Lada - while they may be indirectly, she is the common denominator when it comes to the harshness he has grown accustomed to. However, she does not put a stop to some of these punishments in order to protect him, for she knows that if they cannot get to her through her brother, than he is safe from their torment.
The introduction of Mehmed is the central plot line that essentially drives the largest wedge between Radu and Lada. While at first they all exist cohesively, as they grow older and more politics are thrown into place, Radu and Lada are forced to make a decision that essentially can be seen as betraying Mehmed in their eyes. This does not cause any true animosity between the three, but rather romance is the key factor than causes the siblings to truly go against one another. The tension between the Lada, Mehmed, and Radu was something I have not come across in a long time, and their dynamic was what kept me going with reading this book. The author gives us insight through both Lada and Radu's perspectives, and it is heart-wrenching to see them both go through so much emotional turmoil on top of the heavy political climate.
And I Darken redeemed itself after extensive world building, and I had my doubts on how this book would have me feeling towards completing the trilogy. The political aspect is intriguing and well-developed, and clearly has influence on the characters and their motives. White was able to turn things around and draw the reader in, and with how this first installment ended, I have to say that she has managed to keep me invested in the story.
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