Lada is so determined to find her own allies, and there is something cold and unlikeable about her. She is very resilient, and determined to get Wallachia back and make it into the country she believes it should be. It does set some things up for the next book, of course, but overall, it stood on its own pretty well. This wasn’t the case at all, and it really added to the series because it felt like it added to the story. I’ve been so excited about this book and I absolutely loved it! I was worried it would suffer from middle book syndrome, and that it would feel like it was a bridge between the first book and the third book. If she dies, he could never forgive himself-but if he fails in Constantinople, will Mehmed ever forgive him?Īs nations fall around them, the Dracul siblings must decide: what will they sacrifice to fulfill their destinies? Empires will topple, thrones will be won. Torn between loyalties to faith, to the Ottomans, and to Mehmed, he knows he owes Lada nothing. Radu longs for his sister’s fierce confidence-but for the first time in his life, he rejects her unexpected plea for help. Mehmed wants control of the city, and Radu has earned an unwanted place as a double-crossing spy behind enemy lines. But Mehmed has sent him to Constantinople-and it’s no diplomatic mission. What Lada needs is her younger brother Radu’s subtlety and skill. There’s no time to wonder whether he still thinks about her, even loves her. And thinking of Mehmed brings little comfort to her thorny heart. But brute force isn’t getting Lada what she wants. Filled with a white-hot rage, she storms the countryside with her men, accompanied by her childhood friend Bogdan, terrorizing the land.

After failing to secure the Wallachian throne, Lada is out to punish anyone who dares to cross her blood-strewn path. All she has is what she’s always had: herself. Published June 2017 by Delacorte Press|496 Pages

Now i rise book series