A review by cursedherondale
Now I Rise by Kiersten White
5.0
This book ruined me. I feel so tethered to each character that their stupid decisions wanted me to claw my eyes out. I feel so invested with the complicated lives they lead as well as the complicated relationships they build and ruin. The politics have never been dirtier, the schemes have never been this dangerous, the stakes have never been this high. The balance is tipping and the three lead characters are on opposite sides tearing the world apart; an Empire against a Country. Can I just rip my heart out?
Character growth at its finest. I am so proud of Radu for being the man that he is now, to finally open his eyes and see the world as not being black and white. Mehmed who meant good but I could never make peace with myself of what to make of him, because he is such a difficult person to weigh. His ideals and visions will not always be the ideals and visions of others. I have a very complicated love and hate relationship with him. Then there's Lada. God's wounds, she just set the bar high for badass heroines. I love her so much that I want to shake her sometimes for being so cruel, yet brave even when the odds are against her. I love her ascent to the throne of how she earned it, and the fear that I will always have for her because of her decisions that would mark her as Lada the Impaler. And despite her cruelty, she has my respect for sacrificing too much for her country. For being the villain Wallachia needs, for the kind of ruler it requires to prosper. To rise.
Do I have to talk about the amazing supporting characters? Ugh, I love them too! Nariza is so wonderful and her heart is so big I just want to pull her from the pages and hug her. Cyprian, oh dear, how I silently root for him and Radu, how I mentally curse Radu of not being able to see how worth it Cyprian is! Nikolae, I love him and his loyalty. period. Bogdan, uuuuugh how I wish he could heal Lada. Stefan is a peculiar character that managed to charm me on the long run. Daciana whom Lada needs but doesn't know it. Hunyadi who brings pins and needles to my heart. Constantine & Giustiniani who are noble men that fought for what they believe in.
This book has made me so emotionally, morally, politically and religiously deranged. Who keeps on justifying the characters' decisions, psychoanalyzing everything as if it would somehow make everything better. When it truth, it doesn't. Not by a long shot.
Character growth at its finest. I am so proud of Radu for being the man that he is now, to finally open his eyes and see the world as not being black and white. Mehmed who meant good but I could never make peace with myself of what to make of him, because he is such a difficult person to weigh. His ideals and visions will not always be the ideals and visions of others. I have a very complicated love and hate relationship with him. Then there's Lada. God's wounds, she just set the bar high for badass heroines. I love her so much that I want to shake her sometimes for being so cruel, yet brave even when the odds are against her. I love her ascent to the throne of how she earned it, and the fear that I will always have for her because of her decisions that would mark her as Lada the Impaler. And despite her cruelty, she has my respect for sacrificing too much for her country. For being the villain Wallachia needs, for the kind of ruler it requires to prosper. To rise.
Do I have to talk about the amazing supporting characters? Ugh, I love them too! Nariza is so wonderful and her heart is so big I just want to pull her from the pages and hug her. Cyprian, oh dear, how I silently root for him and Radu, how I mentally curse Radu of not being able to see how worth it Cyprian is! Nikolae, I love him and his loyalty. period. Bogdan, uuuuugh how I wish he could heal Lada. Stefan is a peculiar character that managed to charm me on the long run. Daciana whom Lada needs but doesn't know it. Hunyadi who brings pins and needles to my heart. Constantine & Giustiniani who are noble men that fought for what they believe in.
This book has made me so emotionally, morally, politically and religiously deranged. Who keeps on justifying the characters' decisions, psychoanalyzing everything as if it would somehow make everything better. When it truth, it doesn't. Not by a long shot.