Title: And I Darken
Author: Kiersten White Published by: Delacorte Press Publication date: June 28, 2016 Pages: 498 Genres: Historical Fiction, Romance Summary from Goodreads: 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, 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.
Lada is described as a princess, but is so far from the literary and historical idea that this book caught me off guard. She’s also based of off Vlad the Impaler, who the author describes as this: “Vlad the Impaler was a national hero, a freedom fighter, a brilliant military mind. Or he was a deeply disturbed psycho-path, a vicious despot who murdered tens of thousands and literally sustained himself on their flesh.”
0 Comments
Title: The Forgetting
Author: Sharon Cameron Published by: Scholastic Press Publication date: September 13, 2016 Pages: 416 Genres: Science Fiction, Romance Summary from Goodreads: Nadia lives in the city of Canaan, where life is safe and structured, hemmed in by white stone walls and no memory of what came before. But every twelve years the city descends into the bloody chaos of the Forgetting, a day of no remorse, when each person's memories – of parents, children, love, life, and self – are lost. Unless they have been written. In Canaan, your book is your truth and your identity, and Nadia knows exactly who hasn't written the truth. Because Nadia is the only person in Canaan who has never forgotten. But when Nadia begins to use her memories to solve the mysteries of Canaan, she discovers truths about herself and Gray, the handsome glassblower, that will change her world forever. As the anarchy of the Forgetting approaches, Nadia and Gray must stop an unseen enemy that threatens both their city and their own existence – before the people can forget the truth. And before Gray can forget her.
Sharon Cameron wrote Rook, which was one of my favorite books in 2015. Naturally, when I saw The Forgetting on the shelf at the library, I snatched it up. Cameron knows how to write a suspenseful story and a timely romance. I like that she takes her time with the romances in her books; it makes them more realistic. Her books also keep you guessing about character motives and trustworthiness.
|
Lindsey Learn
I read a lot. I'm a Mom. I'm officially in my 30s, but strangers often don't believe I'm old enough to drink. I love Young Adult fiction, and thought it was worthwhile to help teens and adults find age-appropriate options. Categories
All
Archives
July 2017
|