What Age Is 'And I Darken' Appropriate For?

The ending of 'And I Darken' is brutal and bittersweet, perfectly fitting its ruthless protagonist. Lada finally achieves her goal of reclaiming Wallachia, but at a terrible cost. She murders her way to the throne, including betraying Mehmed, the Ottoman prince she once loved. Mehmed survives her assassination attempt, but their relationship is shattered beyond repair. Radu, Lada’s brother, chooses Mehmed’s side, heartbroken by his sister’s violence. The book closes with Lada crowned as prince of Wallachia, alone but victorious. It’s a stark reminder that power demands sacrifice—love, family, even humanity. If you enjoy dark historical fiction, 'The Poppy War' has a similarly ruthless protagonist.

Reading 'And I Darken' was a rollercoaster of emotions, especially with how brutal the character deaths are. Lada Dracul, the fierce protagonist, doesn't die, but her journey is shaped by the losses around her. The most shocking death is Mehmed's brother, Murad, who gets poisoned early on. It's a pivotal moment that sets Mehmed on his path to power and changes Lada's trajectory. Then there's Bogdan, Lada's loyal friend, who dies defending her—his death hits hard because of their deep bond. The book doesn't shy away from killing off significant characters, making the political stakes feel terrifyingly real. Another major death is Radu's love interest, Mehmed's concubine, which devastates Radu and strains his relationship with Lada. The way Kiersten White writes these deaths isn't just for shock value; each one twists the plot and forces the characters to evolve. The brutality reflects the cutthroat world of the Ottoman Empire, where loyalty and love are often punished. Even minor characters meet gruesome ends, reinforcing the novel's theme that no one is safe in this world.

As someone who devours historical fiction, 'And I Darken' stands out because Lada defies every expectation of femininity in her brutal world. She's not just strong—she's vicious, strategic, and unapologetically ambitious, rejecting marriage and motherhood to carve her own path as a warlord. The book flips Vlad the Impaler's story into a girl's coming-of-age, showing her clawing power from a society that sees women as bargaining chips. What makes it feminist isn't just Lada's rage, but how the narrative validates her hardness as survival, not a flaw. Even her brother Radu's softer masculinity gets equal weight, proving strength isn't gendered.

I recently finished 'And I Darken' and the dynamics between the characters are anything but simple. While there are intense relationships, calling it a love triangle feels too reductive. Lada, the protagonist, is fiercely independent and her connections with Mehmed and Radu are layered with power struggles, loyalty, and trauma. Mehmed’s obsession with Lada is more about possession than love, while Radu’s feelings for Mehmed are painfully one-sided. The book focuses heavily on political maneuvering and survival, with romance taking a backseat. Lada’s brutal upbringing makes her resistant to traditional romance, and Radu’s affection for Mehmed is tangled in his need for validation. The relationships are messy, toxic even, but that’s what makes them compelling—it’s less about choosing between two lovers and more about how these three destroy and rebuild each other. The Ottoman Empire setting adds another layer of tension. Lada and Radu are hostages, and their bonds with Mehmed are fraught with danger. The book doesn’t follow the typical love triangle trope where the protagonist wavers between two options. Instead, it explores how love and ambition collide in a cutthroat world. Lada’s priority is reclaiming Wallachia, not picking a partner, and Radu’s arc is about self-worth. If you’re expecting a swoony romance, this isn’t it—the emotional stakes are higher, darker, and far more interesting.

Reading 'And I Darken' felt like stepping into a twisted version of history I thought I knew. The book takes the brutal, fascinating world of the Ottoman Empire and reimagines it with Lada Dracul as its ruthless protagonist. While it's not a straight historical account, the setting is deeply rooted in real events and figures. Vlad the Impaler, the real-life inspiration for Dracula, becomes Lada in this gender-bent retelling. The Ottoman court politics, the conflicts between Wallachia and the empire, and even Mehmed II's rise to power are all pulled from history. The author doesn't just copy facts though - she bends them to fit this darker, more personal narrative. The siege of Constantinople appears, but through the eyes of characters who make it feel fresh and terrifying. What makes it special is how the fictional elements blend with historical beats. Lada's journey mirrors Vlad's in some ways but diverges in others, creating this perfect mix of what was and what could have been. The Janissaries, the political marriages, the constant power struggles - they all existed, just not exactly as portrayed here. It's historical fiction at its best, using the past as a playground rather than a textbook. The relationship between Lada, Radu, and Mehmed is where history and fiction collide most dramatically. Mehmed's historical conquests and personality traits are there, but his connection to the siblings is pure invention. That's what makes the book so compelling - it takes the cold facts of history and injects them with raw emotion and personal stakes. The brutality of the time period isn't softened either. Lada's viciousness fits right in with what we know of 15th century warfare and politics. The book made me research actual history because the line between fact and fiction was so intriguingly blurred. You get the essence of the Ottoman Empire's golden age, just with more daggers, betrayal, and a heroine who refuses to be forgotten by history.