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The New York Times Bestseller!This vividly rendered novel reads like HBO’s Game of Thrones . . . if it were set in the Ottoman Empire. Ambitious in scope and intimate in execution, the story’s atmospheric setting is rife with political intrigue, with a deftly plotted narrative driven by fiercely passionate characters and a fearsome heroine. Fans of Victoria Aveyard’s THE RED QUEEN, Kristin Cashore’s GRACELING, and Sabaa Tahir’s AN EMBER IN THE ASHES won’t want to miss this visceral, immersive, and mesmerizing novel, the first in a trilogy.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, who’s expected to rule a nation, 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.From New York Times bestselling author Kiersten White comes the first book in a dark, sweeping new series in which heads will roll, bodies will be impaled . . . and hearts will be broken.
Lexile Measure: 0750 (What's this?)
Hardcover: 496 pages
Publisher: Delacorte Press (June 28, 2016)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0553522310
ISBN-13: 978-0553522310
Product Dimensions: 6.2 x 1.6 x 9.3 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (142 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #7,393 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #2 in Books > Teens > Historical Fiction > Medieval #3 in Books > Children's Books > Literature & Fiction > Religious Fiction > Other Religious Fiction #6 in Books > Children's Books > Literature & Fiction > Historical Fiction > Medieval
Age Range: 12 - 17 years
Grade Level: 7 and up
[I received this book in exchange for an honest review}This book was one of my hardest to review. It is very well written, thoroughly researched and had great characters. It would appeal to a lot of readers, but it almost seemed like it would be better as an adult book instead of YA. It was full of politics, lush descriptions and deep, complicated character relationships and development.I was most defiantly impressed my Kiersten White’s writing…it blew me away! The descriptions were detailed and beautiful. The character development was absolutely amazing. I could tell that a lot of research was done to make this story accurate for the time period. I also think a lot of readers will enjoy the extreme politics and the underlining themes.The character development was top notch in this book. I would categorize it as one of the best I have ever read. Readers begin the journey with these characters as small children, going through the trials and tribulations until they are teens. This book is written in chapters alternating between Lada and Radu, siblings who are complete opposites. Lada is strong, stubborn and emotionally driven. Radu is compassionate, kind and calculating. I LOVED that the alternating chapters allowed readers to better understand the complicated relationships and accomplishments the characters strived to achieve. It made me feel very connected to the characters. I felt their sorrow, happiness, fear and worry. I cared about what happened to them. My only problem is I wish I would have connected with Mehmed more. He was the connecting puzzle piece between Lada and Radu and at times, I wish there would have been chapters from Mehmed as well.The romance in this book was also great.
This book took me a very long time to read it. It is a very long, epic tale and the pacing was fairly slow and steady throughout. This was a classic case of "It's Me, Not You." I was super into the beginning and about a third of the way through I was going through some personal things and my reading stalled for about a week before I picked it up and plowed through to the end in two days. Don't let the length of time I spent reading this book scare you off, it is actually a very easy book to read considering the content.The novel is an alternate telling of the tale of Vlad the Impaler. I love novels about this time period and characters because it is fascinating and not very often done. I think it is a very lucrative thing to write about and surprised more people do not go after it. Instead of the story centering on Vlad it focuses on his daughter Ladislav otherwise known as Lada. We follow her from birth through her teenage years as well as her younger brother Radu.Lada is a bad chick! We are told from the beginnng that Lada is ugly and unloved by her father. She excels in combat and having a huge attitude that wins her some favor over her beautiful frail brother but it is not enough. They are sent off to the neighboring Ottoman empire to secure the peace for their country. They are basically prisoners of war in the fancy castle.Lada and Radu accidentally become friends with the son of the sultan Mehmed. He is just as unloved and not noticed by his father as he is the third in line to the throne and his mother is only a concubine. They grow up together through the years and very complicated relationships form. There is political unrest, power struggles, and intrigue galore. I was very wrapped up in who was aligned with who and who was trying to kill who...
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