And I Darken: A Book Review

I was sold by the Amazon blurb description of Kiersten White's  And I Darken when I read the first sentence, "This vividly rendered novel reads like HBO’s Game of Thrones . . . if it were set in the Ottoman Empire." I didn't need much more than that. I love books that read like movies. Stories that transport you. Where you see the action unfolding as you read, and feel the emotion as the characters experience it.

Since I didn't know any more than that when I started reading, I thought at first that I was reading a book about Vlad Dracula's daughter. And despite the vivid writing and compelling characters, I was mildly disappointed by what I thought was historical inaccuracy... because I was a generation off in my assumptions. Then I realized my mistake - the father of Vlad Dracula was in fact also named... Vlad Dracula. So then I thought I was reading a book about Vlad Dracula's sister.

But as I turned the pages and was nearing the end, I could not wrap my mind around how dramatically things would have to change in the final chapters for Lada's little brother, Radu, to become the legendary Vlad. It just wasn't working for me.

THEN I got there.

I wasn't reading a story about Dracula's daughter, or his sister - Ladislav (called Lada) is a female rendering of the legendary Vlad Dracula. And it's BRILLIANT!

Now, I experienced these revelations as plot twists when they aren't supposed to be. If you read the whole back cover apparently it is made clear that Lada is a young, female Vlad Dracula.

Lada and her little brother turn gender stereotypes on their heads. Lada is a keen strategist and fierce warrior, ruthless and calculating. Radu is a subtle eavesdropper, sly and charmingly manipulative. Each of the characters in the book are individuals, even minor characters, with relatable motives and fascinating agendas. This is a complex historically based political intrigue, while at the same time being highly accessible, as it is written for a young adult audience. In my mind, that is a winning combination for a great book - the depth and breadth of a rich story presented in the simplest language possible.

I was looking for an engaging and entertaining read and I can confidently say that And I Darken delivered, and while I am looking forward to the next book in the trilogy, And I Darken is also able to stand on it's own.

If you are ready for some Wallachian Romanian royalty, Vlad Dracula, Albanian hero Skanderberg, medieval battles, Ottoman court intrigue, and young conflicted love, And I Darken by Kiersten White is available at Amazon.ca