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yoshiii_kh's review against another edition
5.0
Amazing, Cruel and beautiful.
Cant wait for the second book to read.
Thank you Kiersten White.. You did write an amazing novel.
Cant wait for the second book to read.
Thank you Kiersten White.. You did write an amazing novel.
emeszee's review against another edition
4.0
(4.5/5) Well, well...this was pretty good. At the beginning, I, of course, didn't know what was happening (naive, huh). I also thought it was going to be vampire-themed..I don't know. At about a hundred pages, I got the gist of what I was reading and it was g o o d. I couldn't even tell that it was historical fiction. (Note: The cover is epic.)
luliposatieris's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
i was hooked in the beginning but then it got too heavy, i mean how many pages do i have to read about the same topic? mid
libraryofdreaming's review against another edition
1.0
I didn't enjoy this book. Honestly, I cannot believe the same woman who wrote the hilarious Paranormalcy series also wrote this book. I understand the need to write different things every so often, but this is absolutely the opposite of that fantastic series. Despite my expectation, there weren't any fantasy elements whatsoever and very little humor. It was more of a dark, gritty historical fiction book which I did not expect. The setting was well-done and very detailed. It really felt like you were in the Medieval Ottoman Empire. Honestly though, I didn't really want to be there? That was my main problem with the book. Some of it was quite interesting, but it was so very dark and just not my thing. I saw the love triangle coming from a mile away but it was just... unpleasant and annoying. That can almost always be said about love triangles but it was especially frustrating.
On one hand, Lada was a very interesting heroine. She's vicious and bloodthirsty which is definitely unusual but all that spite and fury can get overwhelming. The first quarter, no, half of the book is super depressing as it chronicles her sad and brutal childhood. Her brother Radu (the other half of the narration) was more sympathetic and their relationship was intricate and fascinating. They're both so battered it's not hard to pity them, but I wanted just a shred of lightness every so often rather than constant depression. This book does have some really intriguing character development and I can see how it would have been fun for Kiersten White to explore, but it wasn't very fun to read. I didn't realize she was intending to turn this into a series because the ending seemed well, like an end. Sadly, I am not inspired to check out the next book. There's only so much darkness I can handle. Bring back the Paranormalcy!
On one hand, Lada was a very interesting heroine. She's vicious and bloodthirsty which is definitely unusual but all that spite and fury can get overwhelming. The first quarter, no, half of the book is super depressing as it chronicles her sad and brutal childhood. Her brother Radu (the other half of the narration) was more sympathetic and their relationship was intricate and fascinating. They're both so battered it's not hard to pity them, but I wanted just a shred of lightness every so often rather than constant depression. This book does have some really intriguing character development and I can see how it would have been fun for Kiersten White to explore, but it wasn't very fun to read. I didn't realize she was intending to turn this into a series because the ending seemed well, like an end. Sadly, I am not inspired to check out the next book. There's only so much darkness I can handle. Bring back the Paranormalcy!
marni521's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
ashction's review against another edition
4.0
I think I liked this book, but I'm actually not too sure.
I really enjoyed the world of this - both historical and fictional - and the idea of Vlad the Impaler as a girl with this heart-wrenching, terrifyingly awesome backstory. I love Lada and Radu, their complex relationship, and the tale that White weaves. I love that there's queer rep, and I love that this story is a smart book about an even smarter girl.
What I don't know if I love is the way this story was written. Thinking back, organization was a big detriment to my reading experience - I couldn't keep trap of years and location the way White sets this. Normally, readers get sections of locations and years as a sort of primer before a chapter begins, but setting it as an epigraph was confusing and hindered my experience. I could more easily ignore it as I got more invested in the story, and often was left grappling for ages and place. I also don't know how much I care about seeing this story's end; I'm not sure if that has anything to do with White or the anti-hero protagonist, and if it's the latter then that's more of a me issue. I'm potentially interested in reading the next book, but I think I need to consider this first one a bit more before I maybe move on.
I really enjoyed the world of this - both historical and fictional - and the idea of Vlad the Impaler as a girl with this heart-wrenching, terrifyingly awesome backstory. I love Lada and Radu, their complex relationship, and the tale that White weaves. I love that there's queer rep, and I love that this story is a smart book about an even smarter girl.
What I don't know if I love is the way this story was written. Thinking back, organization was a big detriment to my reading experience - I couldn't keep trap of years and location the way White sets this. Normally, readers get sections of locations and years as a sort of primer before a chapter begins, but setting it as an epigraph was confusing and hindered my experience. I could more easily ignore it as I got more invested in the story, and often was left grappling for ages and place. I also don't know how much I care about seeing this story's end; I'm not sure if that has anything to do with White or the anti-hero protagonist, and if it's the latter then that's more of a me issue. I'm potentially interested in reading the next book, but I think I need to consider this first one a bit more before I maybe move on.
nightwithbooks's review against another edition
https://nightwithbook.wordpress.com/2018/02/04/%d1%84%d0%b5%d0%bd%d1%82%d1%8a%d0%b7%d0%b8-%d0%b8%d0%bb%d0%b8-%d0%b2%d0%bb%d0%b8%d0%b7%d0%b0%d0%bc-%d0%b2-%d0%bc%d1%80%d0%b0%d0%ba%d0%b0-%d0%bc%d0%bd%d0%b5%d0%bd%d0%b8%d0%b5-%d0%b4%d0%b5/
dontstopreadin's review against another edition
3.0
This was an interesting enough story; however, for me the hype was just too high. I was not truly invested in our characters stories. While I did enjoy the representation, it wasn't enough to make me fall for this book. Overall, I was bored for a majority of the book, was not invested in our characters, and found the read to be slow. I typically don't mind slow books and I'm a fan of historical fiction, but since i Couldn't find a connection or reason to love the characters, I just couldn't read it. I tried to read the second book, but have decided that at this time, I will not be continuing on with the series.
Trigger warnings for: violence
Rep for: LGBTQIA+, Islam religious practice
Trigger warnings for: violence
Rep for: LGBTQIA+, Islam religious practice