BRIGHT WE BURN (The Conqueror's Saga #3)
Author: Kiersten White
Release Date: July 10, 2018
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Formats: Hardcover, eBook, audiobook
Pages: 416
Haunted by the sacrifices he made in Constantinople, Radu is called back to the new capital. Mehmed is building an empire, becoming the sultan his people need. But Mehmed has a secret: as emperor, he is more powerful than ever... and desperately lonely. Does this mean Radu can finally have more with Mehmed...and would he even want it?
Lada's rule of absolute justice has created a Wallachia free of crime. But Lada won't rest until everyone knows that her country's borders are inviolable. Determined to send a message of defiance, she has the bodies of Mehmed's peace envoy delivered to him, leaving Radu and Mehmed with no choice. If Lada is allowed to continue, only death will prosper. They must go to war against the girl prince.
But Mehmed knows that he loves her. He understands her. She must lose to him so he can keep her safe. Radu alone fears that they are underestimating his sister's indomitable will. Only by destroying everything that came before--including her relationships--can Lada truly build the country she wants.
Claim the throne. Demand the crown. Rule the world.
OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES:
NOW I RISE (The Conqueror's Saga #2)
Release Date: June 27, 2017
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Formats: Hardcover, eBook, audiobook
Lada
Dracul has no allies. No throne. All she has is what she’s always had:
herself. After failing to secure the Wallachian throne, Lada is out to
punish anyone who dares to cross her blood-strewn path. Filled with a
white-hot rage, she storms the countryside with her men, accompanied by
her childhood friend Bogdan, terrorizing the land. But brute force isn’t
getting Lada what she wants. And thinking of Mehmed brings little
comfort to her thorny heart. There’s no time to wonder whether he still
thinks about her, even loves her. She left him before he could leave
her.
What
Lada needs is her younger brother Radu’s subtlety and skill. But Mehmed
has sent him to Constantinople—and it’s no diplomatic mission. Mehmed
wants control of the city, and Radu has earned an unwanted place as a
double-crossing spy behind enemy lines. Radu longs for his sister’s
fierce confidence—but for the first time in his life, he rejects her
unexpected plea for help. Torn between loyalties to faith, to the
Ottomans, and to Mehmed, he knows he owes Lada nothing. If she dies, he
could never forgive himself—but if he fails in Constantinople, will
Mehmed ever forgive him?
As
nations fall around them, the Dracul siblings must decide: what will
they sacrifice to fulfill their destinies? Empires will topple, thrones
will be won...and souls will be lost.
AND I DARKEN (The Conqueror's Saga #1)
Release Date: June 28, 2016
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Format: Hardcover, Paperback, eBook, audiobook
NO ONE EXPECTS A PRINCESS TO BE BRUTAL.
And Lada Dragwlya
likes it that way. Ever since she and her gentle younger brother, Radu,
were wrenched from their homeland of Wallachia and abandoned by their
father to be raised in the Ottoman courts, Lada has known that being
ruthless is the key to survival. She and Radu are doomed to act as pawns
in a vicious game, an unseen sword hovering over their every move. For
the lineage that makes them special also makes them targets.
Lada
despises the Ottomans and bides her time, planning her vengeance for
the day when she can return to Wallachia and claim her birthright. Radu
longs only for a place where he feels safe.
And when they meet Mehmed, the defiant and lonely son of the sultan,
who’s expected to rule a nation, Radu feels that he’s made a true
friend—and Lada wonders if she’s finally found someone worthy of her
passion.
But
Mehmed is heir to the very empire that Lada has sworn to fight
against—and that Radu now considers home. Together, Lada, Radu, and
Mehmed form a toxic triangle that strains the bonds of love and loyalty
to the breaking point.
Bright We Burn is the amazing final book in The Conqueror's Saga, and one that (in my opinion) wraps it up in a fantastic and unforgettable way. This is going to be such a hard review to write because it's one of those books where you could ramble on and on and gush and rehash every little thing - but I don't do spoilers at all in my reviews, so I can't do any of those things. Believe me though - I did all of the feels while I read the book, after I finished the book, and now while writing this review. I enjoy fantasy, but normally don't read a ton of historical fantasy - which is the best of both genres. This trilogy did a magnificent job of recounting historical events in a fantastical world that our beloved characters inhabited.
The world-building in this book and the series was nothing short of brilliant. I didn't think I would really be able to envision myself in these places so far in the past, with so much bloody history - but somehow the author did just that. I could easily see this world with the author's attention to detail and vivid imagery. I could close my eyes and see myself alongside Lada or Radu or any of the others without hesitation. Hand in hand with the world building is the depth of the characters. We get to know each of the main characters, and even some of the secondary ones, very personally by the end of the series. I loved getting to know each of them with their distinctive personalities, their flaws and traits, their hopes, ideas, dreams, fears, and everything in between. They became incredibly realistic in my eyes and I felt deeply connected to each of them during the trilogy.
The plot of this book follows the events of the second book and picks up where it left off. We see so much happen in this story - both wonderful and horrible. There were things I hoped would happen and things I hoped absolutely wouldn't, and I got a blend of both. Endings of series are always bittersweet because we finally get to see what happens to these characters, but it sucks knowing we have to say goodbye when we're finished. I can only say that if you haven't read this series yet - do it. Even if this might not be your preferred genre or one you've read before - you won't be disappointed. I can't recommend this book or trilogy high enough and I know I'll be re-reading it again very soon.
Kiersten White is the NYT bestselling author of the Paranormalcy trilogy, the Mind Games series, Illusions of Fate, The Chaos of Stars, In the Shadows with artist Jim Di Bartolo,
and the upcoming historical reimagining, And I Darken. She has one tall
husband and three small children and lives near the ocean, where her
life is perfectly normal. Visit her at www.kierstenwhite.com.
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7/3/2018- PaperTrailYA- Review
7/11/2018- Rhythmicbooktrovert- Review
7/20/2018- lori's Little House of Reviews- Review
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