Lada, too, finds herself wondering how much she’s willing to sacrifice and for whom. Trapped in a city under siege, Radu finds himself wishing for Lada’s strength and questioning everything he thought he knew. Mehmed has his eye on Constantinople, and he thinks that Radu might be the one to help him get it. He chose Mehmed.Ĭhoosing Mehmed has its consequences, though. News of her spreads as she leaves a bloody path across the countryside, and it becomes clear that what Lada really needs is Radu’s diplomacy. Failure is not something Lada is willing to accept so she does what she does best - punish anyone who gets in her way. Lada has returned to Europe to claim her title, but she has no allies. Now I Rise picks up where And I Darken left off. Radu, on the other hand, can’t imagine life away from Mehmed, and the siblings part ways. Her heart lies in Wallachia, and all she can think of is regaining the throne. But Lada has always seen her time with the Ottomans as temporary. Mehmed loves the siblings - Radu as a brother and Lada as something more - and wishes nothing more than they remain by his side forever. Lada and Radu move up in the ranks, befriending the sultan’s son Mehmed. Lada and Radu become pawns in an international game of intrigue, with the threat of death always hovering over their heads. In And I Darken readers are introduced to the Dracul siblings who have been abandoned in the Ottoman courts as a way to secure their father, Vlad’s, position as leader of Wallachia. Its followup, Now I Rise, is just as engrossing, if not more so. And I Darken about Lada Dracul and her brother, Radu, took my breath away. It was this time last year that I fell in love with a new series by Kiersten White. NOW I RISE, by Kiersten White, Delacorte Press, June 27, 2017, Hardcover, $18.99 (young adult)

Now i rise book series