"They are soldiers. They depend upon routine, and anything out of the ordinary will give them pause. And they are men. They hate to be insulted, but they love to hear others mocked. And they are fools, because they cannot imagine that a woman alone in the woods would be a threat."

That was AWESOME. I guess it's my "western" ignorance that keeps me thinking of this series as fantasy. It feels, to me at least, like fantasy. And yet, both [b:And I Darken|27190613|And I Darken (The Conqueror's Saga, #1)|Kiersten White|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1449153532s/27190613.jpg|41682914] and [b:Now I Rise|22817331|Now I Rise (The Conqueror's Saga, #2)|Kiersten White|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1476160834s/22817331.jpg|42367441] are brutal, dark, fictional tales based on historical truth.

I love this reimagining of Vlad the Impaler as a woman called Lada. I love that Lada is allowed to be every bit as mean and bloodthirsty as Vlad, but also, somehow, demand sympathy from the reader. Well, from me anyway. She stands out as one of my favourite characters from all the YA series I've read in recent years, reminding me somewhat of Adelina from [b:The Young Elites|20821111|The Young Elites (The Young Elites, #1)|Marie Lu|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1407318399s/20821111.jpg|25217978], but she's much nastier than that.

This book is - in short - about the fall of Constantinople and Lada's reclamation of Wallachia (you should read the actual history of this, if you're unfamiliar; it is fascinating). It is split into two stories that rarely meet, but both are extremely exciting and compelling.

Radu is working as an insider within Constantinople and reporting to Mehmed, but the handsome young Cyprian makes him start to wonder where his true loyalties lie. I love the moral conflicts of Radu's character, and the lessons he learns about life and love along the way. Lada, on the other hand, is so fucking badass. She must fight against all the male nobles and soldiers who dismiss her because of her sex, and she is torn between playing by their rules to gain an advantage, and saying "screw it!" and doing her own damn thing. She doesn't disappoint.

I was also pleasantly surprised by the funny banter between Lada and her loyal soldier boys on the road:

"She is so beautiful," Petru whispered, peering through the hedge they hid behind. "You look nothing like her."
Nicolae cringed. "And that, Petru, is why your line will die with you."

And THAT ending. Oh my, it was absolute perfection. I don't know what it says about me that I love reading about Lada and her perspective so much. But as much as she is a tough-as-nails murderess, it's hard not to have a certain admiration for her ingenuity and determination.

Look, I wouldn't come searching for historical accuracy in this series, but if you are looking for some seriously dark, seriously dramatic thrills-- I cannot recommend these books highly enough.

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