And I Darken, Book 1
By Carrie R. Wheadon,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Absorbing read imagines the early years of a female Dracula.
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What's the Story?
Vada and her brother Radu are abandoned by their parents at an early age. When they are only 11 and 12, their father, Vlad, travels south from Wallachia to Edirne with them, leaving their fate in the hands of the sultan. If Vlad doesn't fight to expand the Ottoman Empire, the sultan would make sure his children suffer. But after a while the sultan forgets about them, and the sultan's third son, Mehmed, takes a liking to the fierce but loyal Vada and the more sensitive, inquisitive Radu. Mehmed even invites them to the country with him and shares his tutor. Away from court they become close friends. And when Vada's not bored tormenting the tutor, she trains with the local Janissaries (soldiers) and becomes quite a fighter. It's lucky for Mehmed that she does. When Mehmed's two older brothers die and the sultan steps down, suddenly Mehmed is the sultan, a sultan with a dangerous lack of loyalties at court and among Edirne's Janissaries. Vada will have to save Mehmed's life more than once while Radu plays the charming spy and finds out who Mehmed's most dangerous foes are. But while Vada protects Mehmed and admits to herself that she may even love him, she can't forget that Edirne isn't her real home. She longs to return to Wallachia and dreams of a way to get there.
Is It Any Good?
Readers looking for a palace-intrigue tale as focused on the torment of intense characters as it is on relentless royal assassination attempts, then you've come to the right place. And the right place is the intriguing Ottoman Empire in AND I DARKEN, and the right female hero is Vada, who author Kiersten White imagines as a young Dracula, if he were a girl. But in this installment, we're pretty far from Transylvania most of the time. And Vada's rough relationship with her much milder brother Radu, and with the future sultan Mehmed, are at the center of the story.
White digs deep into their longings for connection, for homeland, and even for religion. And all the while she moves the story fast, often from one serious danger to another. It's a masterful balance that few YA writers manage well. Let's hope she keeps up the intensity and the action as The Conquerors Saga continues.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the fascinating time period depicted here. How much did you know about the Ottoman Empire before reading the book?
Lada can be a tough main character to like. Are you rooting for her? Do you think she makes a wise decision at the end of the book?
Will you keep reading The Conquerers Saga? What do you think will happen next to Lada, Radu, and Mehmed?
Book Details
- Author: Kiersten White
- Genre: Historical Fiction
- Topics: Princesses, Fairies, Mermaids, and More, Brothers and Sisters, History
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Delacorte Press
- Publication date: June 28, 2016
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 12 - 17
- Number of pages: 496
- Available on: Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: July 28, 2017
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