Ugh.

Further insights coming soon.

I feel sorry for every single person in this book. Everyone wants something. And they all know how hard it is to get it. There is so much trust and betrayal in this book. I can't even. And that isn't even a proper sentence.

More later!

DNF at 35%. I think I’m just not feeling it at the moment.

If Game of Thrones was reimagined with John Snow in a gay romance trapped in the falling city of Constantinople, and Daenerys even more of a vicious badass ruler cutting her way to the Wallachian throne, it may come close to the awesomeness of this second book of the Conqueror’s Trilogy. 5/5 stars.

because nobody understands why this book disappointed the fuck out of me it’s Review Time™ (also bumping this up to four stars because kazzy boy is surprisingly persuasive when she tells you hating a character ≠ hating the book and elise pretended to be nice to me) (i still hate a lot of things in this book but... ok fINE THERE'S A LOT OF GOOD AND I'M JUST REALLY MAD AT MEHMED FOR RUINING EVERYTHING)

buckle up your belts gentlefriends and because you’re in for a ride (that goes down and down and down just like this book)


WHY I WANT TO DROWN THIS BOOK IN A STEAMING POOL OF LAVA:

RATIONALE #1: I really, really loved the first book. And I really, really loved this one — until I didn’t. I thought it’d be my next five star and the series I couldn’t shut up about. I even made 38 notes and highlights on my kindle, which is something I almost never do. You know what? Let’s start with the good. Let me show you why this book was on the path to one of the greatest pieces of literature ever:

● lada’s character grows so much
● this wasn’t even really her book, but she becomes so fierce
● she’s everything aelin galashitmus wants to be
● but I LOVE HOW IT’S NOT OH OK COOL I WANT TO CONQUER THE WORLD SO I DO

She knew now that nothing she could do would ever be enough. Unless she could grow a penis, which did not seem likely. Nor particularly desirable.

● it’s so real and honestly something i can relate to at some level even in 2017, the struggle to be accepted as a person and not as a babymaker first and foremost
● we see her entire journey from nothing to where she wants to be and it’s so fucking inspiring
● she kinds reminds me of kaz brekker, especially in this scene:

A girl sat in the bed, staring directly at Lada. She could not be older than ten, her hair pinned beneath a cap, her nightshirt white.
“If you scream,” Lada said, “I will murder your whole family in their sleep.”
The girl was solemn—and silent—in her terror.
[…]
She turned back to the girl, who watched her in the same wide-eyed silence she had maintained since Lada first entered her bedroom.
Lada reached into her boot and pulled the small knife free. She turned it hilt out and bent down. “Next time someone comes into your room in the middle of the night, you should be prepared. Here.”
The girl took the knife, staring at it like it was a puzzle. Then she gripped the hilt and nodded.

● except i think . . . i like her better
● SHE GAVE THE GIRL A KNIFE
● i love how lada’s arc around misogyny develops in this book
● in the first book she’s dismissive of ‘other girls’ around her because she thinks they’re all weak
● but here she comes to value women and realises her frustration comes because she wants to empower them all
● this shift is so well done i'm!!!!!
● when she gives the plot of land to daciana’s mother and starts to respect oana MY HEART WAS SINGING
● also, how she’s not afraid to do anything for wallachia you go girl

Well. Lada could be Radu for one night. She grimaced, then smiled broadly and opened her large eyes as wide as she could. It was her best imitation of him.
Oana recoiled. “That is terrifying, girl. I was wrong. Be yourself.”
Lada let her hooded eyelids drop low. She had never been able to be anyone else.

● ahadjgbahja sometimes my heart breaks for her so much
● tbh ok lada is the only part of the book i 100% liked
● everything else was butchered

“Is she pretty?”
Daciana held out the baby. Her face was red, squished and bruised from its violent entrance into the world. Dark hair sprouted from the top of her head and one tiny first was balled tightly and raised in the air. She was not pretty, But she screamed, and the sound was piercing and strong.
Lada tentatively smiled. “When she is old enough, I will give her a knife.” […]
Though Lada had been serious, she laughed. But watching the tiny life, she promised that she would do exactly that for the little girl and every other Wallachian under her rule.
She would make them strong.

● but i was so fucking excited for lada’s plotline throughout
● and it didn’t disappoint me one bit so thank you for that kiersten white

DO YOU SEE HOW MUCH I LOVED LADA'S STORY? I WANTED TO LOVE THIS ENTIRE BOOK LIKE THAT. MY EXPECTATIONS WERE SKY HIGH. This book and me? We could’ve been it. But because I had such high standards after Lada’s story, everything fell dreadfully flat. EVERYTHING ELSE WAS ABOUT AS INTERESTING AS PLAIN BREAD.


ARGUMENT #2: Radu’s “character development”. I feel like this is a case of it's not you, it's me because honestly, I have absolutely no patience when it comes to this Dracul sibling.

● *sigh*
● dear sweet radu, radu the handsome
● how i tried to love him
● and i did (sort of)
● i was fucking invested in him
● AND IT DIDN’T PAY OFF
● see, i get his narration shift from being in love with mehmed to kinda not
● but i’m not a patient person
● I WANT TO SEE THINGS HAPPEN
● I DON’T WANT TO SEE HIM GO BACK TO MEHMED AFTER EVERY TWO MINUTES
● when the fuck will it end!!!!!!
● i wanted to claw my eyes out by the end at his chapters
● they all ended or started with some bullshit like:

“It will work,” Radu said. It had to. It would prove, once and for all, that he was the better Dracul sibling. The more valuable. The more deserving of love.

● he literally gave up his life for mehmed
● at every turn, he was betrayed by him
● he finds out that mehmed never expected him to succeed
● he finds out that mehmed knew he loved him and used him to his benefit
● and you know what he does?
● that’s right, he CHOSES MEHMED OVER EVERYONE. AGAIN.
● "nazira who cyprian who lada who i just want to be close to mehmed"
● that’s basically his attitude in the entire book and i’m tired of it
● i know he’s going to get over it and move on in the next book
● BUT I DON’T WANT TO WAIT 700 PAGES FOR THAT
● i like slow burn, not character growth so subtle it feels like nothing is happening

● and then there’s . . . mehmed himself
● honestly the only talk of mehmed i'm here for is the one where he’s being dissed

“Surely Mehmed does not do anything himself.”
Lada rolled her eyes. “He has a man whose only role is to follow after his carrying a stool.”
“Does he even clean his own ass, I wonder?”
Lada grimaced. “Why would you put such an image in my mind?”
Hunyadi laughed loudly.

● (also, while we’re on this scene i loved hunyadi so much!!)


REASON #3: The Hunyadi plot. I just. I have no words. What in the actual fuck? I’m just going to list what I think happened and I want you to correct me if I’m wrong, because this is the most ridiculous waste of character ever.
● he’s the only character who believes in lada
● he’s funny and he’s smart and he’s interesting
● but lada betrays him “for wallachia"
● oh but wait it’s just because mehmed makes her happy in bed 🙃🙃
● and then when she realises that she betrayed hunyadi for nothing and mehmed lied to her (like he always does because he’s a power hungry asshole)
● she doesn’t go fix things with him
● oh no honey she leaves him to die
● she betrays him AGAIN
● she strikes a deal with his son who hates him
● she deiwjknsmzklwjdjsak
● WHY THE FUCK DID SHE LEAVE HIM
● HE COULD’VE HELPED HER GET WALLACHIA
● SHE BETRAYED HIM OVER AND OVER HE LOVED HER AND SHE LOVED HIM
● i’m just !!!! so mad over this oh my god


BASIS #4: Good things were dangled on a stick. I’m not a horse??????????? I wanted more Nazira and Fatima and Cyprian. What did I get? Stolen moments of sad stories and!! more!! betrayal!!
● there’s so much potential between radu and cyprian
● BUT THAT'S ALL IT STAYS BECAUSE OF STUPID MEHMED
● it could've been so much more but??????
● why the hell and fuck ????
● AND FATIMA WE DON’T EVEN SEE HER IUADHKJSZMJA

● and other good things were ruined!!
● i'm not entirely sure what's going on but what lada is doing to bogdan and nicolae, your guess is as good as mine
● i'm not ready for this to become More Drama so i'm hoping she cuts this shit in the bud
● can't she just!! listen!! to nicolae!! once!!
● HE'S HER BEST FRIEND
● or is he


● anyway,, the last few chapters ruined everything and i hope everybody chokes and dies a horrible death


➡ I went in hoping for something I'd love, but what I got was this:

↑ nazira
| my expectations
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| lada
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| radu
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↓the last five chapters

4.5

4.5 STARS

"You are mistaken. Our Lada is no lady. She is a dragon."

This is rare for me.....but I feel the second installment is even better than the first. I LOVE this cast of complex and deeply flawed characters. The storyline is brutal and dark, but it is so addicting.

*Lada - She continues to baffle and astonish. I have an unyielding appreciation for everything she endures in a male dominated world. I especially enjoy all the interaction between her and her soldiers. Her moments with Oana are some of my favorite moments in the book, and I adore how the nurse can bring light hearted moments to such an intense story.
* Radu - I spent half the book wanting to shake him and the other half wanting to hug him. I think he is the character that continues to challenge and amaze the most. I never truly know what he will do. Sweet Nasira is the quite strength he often needs, and I adore their interactions.
*Mehmed - although he's far from a villain, I continue to despise him. He is a master manipulator and I wish Lada and Radu would stop being so blinded by him.

Kiersten White is an excellent author and her painstaking research shines through in her writing. I would read anything by her in the future. I think this is only a trilogy and can't imagine saying goodbye to these characters. It has also inspired me to find more books set in this time period.

Audible - I listened to book 1 and attempted to read book 2. I couldn't stop hearing Fiona Hardingham in my head. I had to download the audio of this book too. She's phenomenal in this series.