Hardcover, 475 pages
Rating: ★★★★★
Where do I start with this book? I loved it. It was rich, vibrant and beautiful in so many ways.
The story is told in alternating chapters by brother and sister, Radu and Lada. Due to weak rule of their father, Radu and Lada are traded to the Ottoman Empire in exchange the safety of their home country of Wallachia. This worked particularly well as Lada and Radu were both full-bodied characters, their voices crisp and distinct, even as young children.
Radu and Lada accidentally meet the Sultan's third son, a young boy their age, and befriend him. From there the book truly starts. There is so much between the three of them that it's hard to label it a 'love triangle' as the relationships between Radu, Lada and Mehmed change and grow as the novel progresses. It is never boring or tedious because the love shared by the three of them is complex, complicated and sometimes very dark.
Lada is a brilliant protagonist. She's vicious, clever and passionate; her personality is almost too much to be contained. It is made clear to the reader early on that she is not like the 'ordinary' people who wish to live and love - Lada belongs to Wallachia. Her country is her first and only true love. She's fascinating to read. Radu, on the other hand, is sensitive and intelligent. He's a great counterpoint to Lada's calculated brutality and also fascinating to read. His homosexuality, rumoured historically, is explicit in the book. I loved that.
I just absolutely devoured the entire book. The language is rich and beautiful, the characters full and complex, and the story was delicious. It follows history a lot closer than other YA historical fiction but plays around just enough.
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