Review: And I Darken

Review:

I received a copy from Netgalley.

 

I don't quite know what to make of this one. I must admit, I expected something very bloody and violent, especially with the 'Game of Thrones' comparisons I keep seeing when looking through the reviews on Goodreads. While it certainly had its bloody and brutal moments, what I wasn't expecting at all for it to a brilliantly plotted and intricate political fantasy. 

 

Definitely very dark in tone from the start and the cloud of darkness never really brightens. Lada is an animal right from the moment of her birth, she reacts on sheer determination, instinct and her desire to be her own person no matter what. As good as that is, especially in a time where women are nothing more than pawns to be moved about for gaining power and to serve as required,  Lada's constant brutality as she grows up and outmaneuvers her away around can get very tiring. Her strength and cunning and her push for power is quite admirable. She detests being a woman and can't seem to get her head around some feminine concepts, even when other women who seem to be in what she considers a waste of life explain how they can use their femininity to manipulate the way of the world to their own advantage. She'd rather do it through her orders, blood and strength. She's a brilliantly written anti heroine, it's almost impossible to like this girl but reading about her is absolutely compelling. 

 

Her younger brother Radu is one of the other main focuses. Radu was a weak and sickly child, sneered at and bullied mercilessly as a child, beaten by peers, tutors and even (especially) Lada herself. Radu's only redeeming feature at the start of the book seems to be that he's a very beautiful boy with the potential to be very intelligent. He's calm and sense and logic to Lada's brutality. Radu shows some of the most incredible character growth as the novel develops. He's definitely my favourite character in this series. I just loved reading about him. He finds his solace in religion and converting to Islam when he and Lada are moved from their childhood home to another empire, he discovers solace in prayer, strength in loyalty and in finding and showing kindness where he was shown none. His journey is incredible as he learns to to manipulate and work this to his advantage through such different tactics. It's quite amazing to see how he balance's this against his struggle with his sister. 

 

The third main character, Mehmed, the son of the sultan in the empire Lada and Radu are sent to as political pawns. He befriends both of them. He's in a very precarious position as he finds himself the next sultan in line with potential power that everyone wants to claim. He has very different relationships with both Lada and Radu. Mehmed appears very weak to begin with but his strength builds as his political position and ambition shift along with his relationships with Lada and Radu. 

 

I did find all the political side of it a bit boring at first, especially given the nature of Lada's character where not much was happening even though it was exceptionally well written. Lots of names and different people with different stakes and how they fit in with the main characters and how things affected them. It did get significantly better as it moved on and the characters intertwined and grew up. People change, relationships shift. It got darker, more brutal and more compelling. I read the first 70% of this in a day, and finished the rest the following day. 

 

It's a slow moving fantasy with a lot of intricate plots and twists, and some brilliant characters. Really looking forward to see where this series is going. 

 

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Children's for approving my request to view the title. 

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