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adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Read the author's note at the end of the book because it will make the entire story make a lot more sense.
I found the story to be intriguing, entertaining, and honestly awe striking at times. But it suffered from too fast a pace and too underdeveloped communication. As the reader, you are jolted constantly, vascilating between Lada and Radu. Radu experiences strong character development over the roughly 20 year span of the novel. Lada, on the other hand, comes across less like a slowly disintegrating psychopath and more as a poorly written "angsty female character" whose whole personality is defiance, contrarianism, and internalized misogyny.
I can somewhat understand the development of her violence and hatred, but it feels less like a development and more like a drawn out acceptance of how awful of a human being she is when she was essentially born with a savor for the suffering of other people and hardly a noble bone in her body. Her entire personality is a violation of the Geneva Convention and weirdly enough, she can't pass the Bechtel test.
All in all, I enjoyed MUCH of this novel and its intense action as well as its slippery political intrigues! I cannot rate it any higher, unfortunately, on account of the massive disappointment that is Lada's character "arc".
Thinly veiled spoiler: Vlad Dracul is a red herring...
I found the story to be intriguing, entertaining, and honestly awe striking at times. But it suffered from too fast a pace and too underdeveloped communication. As the reader, you are jolted constantly, vascilating between Lada and Radu. Radu experiences strong character development over the roughly 20 year span of the novel. Lada, on the other hand, comes across less like a slowly disintegrating psychopath and more as a poorly written "angsty female character" whose whole personality is defiance, contrarianism, and internalized misogyny.
I can somewhat understand the development of her violence and hatred, but it feels less like a development and more like a drawn out acceptance of how awful of a human being she is when she was essentially born with a savor for the suffering of other people and hardly a noble bone in her body. Her entire personality is a violation of the Geneva Convention and weirdly enough, she can't pass the Bechtel test.
All in all, I enjoyed MUCH of this novel and its intense action as well as its slippery political intrigues! I cannot rate it any higher, unfortunately, on account of the massive disappointment that is Lada's character "arc".
Thinly veiled spoiler: Vlad Dracul is a red herring...
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Murder, Abandonment, War
Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Sexual harassment
Minor: Child death, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Physical abuse, Rape, Violence, Murder, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, War
Minor: Homophobia, Islamophobia, Religious bigotry
challenging
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3.5 stars
"When do borders ever stay as they are? Our own people were driven from the east, fleeing destruction. They saw cities and walls, and they wanted that. So they took them. If they had not taken them, they would have died. And someone else would have come and taken them instead."
This quote pretty much sums up this book and the sentiments within held by all of the characters. Me want something so me take something. Its like all of the despicable people in the book never got past 5 years old.
I wanted to like this book, I really did. I love Romania (after all, I chose to spend my honeymood there!) and have a fascination with Vlad Tepes, and the Dracula legend his legacy inspired.
I wanted to.
But I really didn't. I struggled to care about Lada. I couldn't give two sh*ts about Mehmed - I have pretty much zero respect for the raiding Ottomans. Radu was the least despicable character but he was just so whimpering and selfish... Well they were all so selfish while thinking they were so noble it was aggravating.
The childhood first half of the book was slow and hard to get into. I can't remember half the stuff that happened because it just wasn't memorable.
The second half really picked up and I flew through it in a couple of days. But though the second half was closer to 4 stars, the first half was closer to 2 stars, so I've settled somewhere I the middle.
I don't know if I will continue the series. Halfway through, it would have been a flat out no. But by the end, I was a little more invested....
I didn't realise how much of the book would be set in the Ottoman Empire, a part of history that holds no interest for me. I also mistakenly thought that when people said "female dracula" (Which I was like cool!), they meant that the book was about Elizabeth Bathory, a nobleman and prolific female serial killer, who is sometimes called a sort of female version of Dracula. I didn't realise it was a book where Vlad exists.... but is weak and pointless and his daughter is the real Tepes legacy. Meh.
Anyway, the book has high ratings and I can see why! It just didn't meet my expectations. Apparently book 2 is better and its worth holding out, so we'll see
"When do borders ever stay as they are? Our own people were driven from the east, fleeing destruction. They saw cities and walls, and they wanted that. So they took them. If they had not taken them, they would have died. And someone else would have come and taken them instead."
This quote pretty much sums up this book and the sentiments within held by all of the characters. Me want something so me take something. Its like all of the despicable people in the book never got past 5 years old.
I wanted to like this book, I really did. I love Romania (after all, I chose to spend my honeymood there!) and have a fascination with Vlad Tepes, and the Dracula legend his legacy inspired.
I wanted to.
But I really didn't. I struggled to care about Lada. I couldn't give two sh*ts about Mehmed - I have pretty much zero respect for the raiding Ottomans. Radu was the least despicable character but he was just so whimpering and selfish... Well they were all so selfish while thinking they were so noble it was aggravating.
The childhood first half of the book was slow and hard to get into. I can't remember half the stuff that happened because it just wasn't memorable.
The second half really picked up and I flew through it in a couple of days. But though the second half was closer to 4 stars, the first half was closer to 2 stars, so I've settled somewhere I the middle.
I don't know if I will continue the series. Halfway through, it would have been a flat out no. But by the end, I was a little more invested....
I didn't realise how much of the book would be set in the Ottoman Empire, a part of history that holds no interest for me. I also mistakenly thought that when people said "female dracula" (Which I was like cool!), they meant that the book was about Elizabeth Bathory, a nobleman and prolific female serial killer, who is sometimes called a sort of female version of Dracula. I didn't realise it was a book where Vlad exists.... but is weak and pointless and his daughter is the real Tepes legacy. Meh.
Anyway, the book has high ratings and I can see why! It just didn't meet my expectations. Apparently book 2 is better and its worth holding out, so we'll see
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Sexism, Violence, Sexual harassment, War
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Advertencia de contenido: Sangre, asesinato, p3d0filia, intentos de abuso.
Si hay algo que me gusta muchísimo es la fantasía casi medieval y medio épica.
Este libro me hizo recordar porqué Juego de Tronos fue una de mis sagas favoritas.
Nos presentan a tres personajes: Radu, Lada y Mehmed.
Radu y Lada, hermanos desterrados. Mehmed alguien importante en el imperio otomano.
Sus caminos se entrecruzan y desde ahí empieza una especie des estrategia. Mantener o romper lealtades.
¿Hasta qué punto es justificable la crueldad humana por el poder? ¿Qué tanto ansían los personajes el poder y hasta dónde son capaces de llegar?
Un libro narrado a dos voces por dos personajes de la misma sangre, pero a su vez completamente distintos. Radu y Lada. Hermanos Dragwyla.
Una es toda aspereza, rabia e instinto casi animal y el otro es pura suavidad y tranquilidad.
En este libro hay bastantes conflictos, la narrativa es atrapante, la autora supo cómo hacer que yo sienta conexión con las escenas y casi sentía que estaba ahí y presenciaba todo.
Personajes bien definidos, trama que avanza lenta, pero segura, villanos bien construidos, héroes con moralidad cuestionable, muchísimos momentos en los que esperaba que suceda algo y pasaba lo contrario y era mucho mejor.
Todo lo bueno que puede tener el inicio de una trilogía que se llama "Los Conquistadores".
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Blood, Murder
Moderate: Physical abuse, Sexual harassment
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Homophobia, Pedophilia
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Abandonment, Sexual harassment