and i darken - kiersten white

I have received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you NetGalley!

Wow. Just Wow. I have no words right now to describe how utterly in love I am with this book, but I will try.

For starters, I loved how rich the plot of this book was. It was filled with vivid descriptions, enticing developments, and shocking actions. This historical fiction set in the Ottoman Empire sheds light on the merging of politics and religion, of family and love, of strength and weakness, and of brain versus heart. White is a master at building up her novel both with the plot and the characters; weaving a perfectly tight tale for us lucky readers.

Secondly, I love Lada. She is such a strong, complex character. White did a remarkable job of building this character brick by brick and layer by layer. She is a feminist, one who values power, and who sees love as a weakness, but not in the Voldemort kind of way. In the sense that she doesn't want to lose herself, or put herself in danger. Yes, Lada has flaws, and White is not shy to point them out in the story, but they just add to the "realness" of this "person".

Long story short, I sincerely hope you pick up this entrancing read at your bookstore when it comes out. You will not be disappointed.