I always come to wish with this kind of thing that I’d waited until the trilogy was out in full so that I didn’t have to suffer the agonising wait for the next part. When I saw this available on NetGalley I couldn’t resist…I’ve done it again!
Lada Dragwyla and her brother, Radu, are abandoned by their father Vlad and sent from their home of Wallachia to be raised in the Ottoman courts. Radu comes to love and cherish this alternative life, but Lada resents her position and is determined to get her revenge eventually.
From the moment of her birth, Lada is fierce. She defies all expectations for a young girl, and her father encourages this. However, it’s not enough. Vlad is a weak ruler and abandons his own children for his own political game.
There’s so much I could say about this sprawling epic, but I’m wary of giving anything away and ruining the experience for those who read it. It’s enough to say that I quickly became immersed in this world and was desperate to find out more about the rather toxic triangle that is formed between the siblings and Mehmed, the sultan’s son.
The political background to the story is fascinating, and even for someone who knows very little about this period in history there was plenty to keep me satisfied. At the fore was the emotional investment that I felt in these characters, but I genuinely am excited to see where this goes next.
Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy.