Category: Age 14 +

Now I Rise

6/8/2017

Now I Rise ( 14 + )
By ; Kiersten White
Publisher ; Penguin Random House ( June 2017 )

The much awaited sequal to the epic triology with an ultimate dark princess. It is as addictive as the first with an array of fascinating characters that enriches the plot; a continuation, meticulously detailed and absolutly riverting!

The story recreates an era in the Ottoman empire with a vivid and colorful imagination while retaining some precise periodical details. It further explores complexities in relationships. Lada, Radu and Mehmed, now in their prime, are all driven by their individual desires and duties. As they choose to go on seperate paths, they long for each others support, though they never receive it.
Lada, who lacks feminine wiles of any sort tries to seal her place in man`s territory by being a better villain than all of them, her need to be powerful, secure and respected is stronger than her love for Mehmed; the ruler of Turkish empire; though Lada`s vulnerability that lies beneath her fierce confidence is apparent to the reader.
She steps out of the Ottomans' land with few loyal men to lead towards Wallachia, her land, to secure the throne but faces many unexpected obstacles on her way. Wars erupt, betrayals happen, but Lada proceeds with knives on her wrists and the sword on her belt, with no allies to back her. Her burning passion for Mehmed and her deep sisterly love for Radu together creates the ultimate woman in Lada that the readers without doubt will admire and applaud for!

Meanwhile Radu, gentle and beautiful is torn between his love for Mehmed and loyalty to Lada though he proceeds to support Mehmed, in his desperation to be with him. Then Radu, being the expert in court politics is sent to Constantinople as a spy, where his humanity interrogates his allegiance to Mehmed and disturbs him deeply. His compassionate nature provides an imperative balance to this brutal and action-packed tale.

The dramatic presentation of the siege and court politics would leave readers on the edge. The parallel journeys of the siblings with their choices,failures and successes eventually weaves a rich work of fiction.
( With many thanks to Penguin Random House and NetGally for the ARC )

And I Darken ( Installment 1 )
By Kiersten White
Penguin Random House ( July 2016 )

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And I Darken.

7/13/2016

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And I Darken (14+ )
By ; Kiersten White
Publisher ; Penguin Random House (July 2016 )

When Ladislaw Dragwlya and her younger brother Radu were dragged out of their bed chambers in the middle of the night they didn't think they were to be taken to use as detainees to maintain their father`s throne. But when they were abandoned in the Ottoman Courts by their own father, their lives change forever.
The story rediscovers Dracula from a different perspective. And questions what if Vlad the Impaler was a female? But obviously there is more to "And I Darken " than that. Could a book be so rebellious as this? It not only recreates history through Lada but captures human needs and weaknesses and their desires so perfectly. This is a brilliant historical fiction based on the 15th century Turkey and the surrounding areas.

However it is the story of Lada (Ladislaw) The daughter of Vlad Dracula; the Voivode of Wallachia. Lada; a different child from the birth. She possesses an enormous physical and mental strength than any other male or female child around her age. She learns that being fierce and fearless may be the only ways to protect herself and her weak yet beautiful brother. Lada is not pretty and she has to use every strength of hers to survive in the Ottoman Courts. It is a different culture a different religion and she is almost a non existent by being a woman. Lada wants respect, and the dignity of her country back. How she`s going to get these things is an intriguing tale to follow. At the point she was forced to marry,which does not happen in the end, she spat out her feral words to the old groom;
"On our wedding night / I will cut your tongue and swallow it / Then both tongues that spoke our marriage vows will belong to me / and I will be wed only to myself / You will most likely choke to death on your own blood / which will be unfortunate / but I will be both husband and wife and therefore not a widow to be pitied"

In the Ottoman courts Lada and Radu meet their match; another unwanted, Mehmed; the third son of the Sultan. Together they grow up in the beautiful and serene city of Amasya. Away from the main courts. Lada still remains brutal, mean and stubborn; using these as protection shields for herself and her brother. And the author describes Lada to us as;
"At her hips was her sword / and on her wrists were her knives / Her spine was steel / Her heart was armor / Her eyes were fire "
Though at the beginning Lada desperately tries to deny her womanhood in fear of appearing as weak, she slowly learns that there are many kinds of feminine powers. Their days pass somewhat calmly without any direction and being unaware of what would become of them. Lada still holds on to her pouch containing an Evergreen spring and a pressed flower she carried from Walachia close to her heart. While Radu accepts Ottoman`s Land as his home wholeheartedly and converts to Islam. Youthful spirits of the three young people keep them occupied as they tell tales about ancient tombs and explore around. With Lada becoming friends with Janisseries and learning swordsmanship from them. However their peaceful days come to a sudden halt when they learn about the demise of Mehmed`s two older brothers.

When Mehmed suddenly becomes the heir to the throne they enter into a whirlwind of dirty political activities with treason,schemes and backstabbing. The rivals pushing all possible tactics to assassin Mehmed - And their lives being depended on each other - Every step and every move has to be carefully guarded. However Radu`s well planned intelligent measures and Lada`s watchful eyes, accompanied by her well armoured hands, creates Mehmed`s path to leadership. Their horrific experiences and the threats they encounter leave them to wonder about what matters to them most and in the end what they may have to sacrifice to fulfill their desires.

If Lada is the devilish one then Radu is quite the opposite; innocent and sweet natured. And Mehmed is Lada`s equal in many ways.Although their love for each other changes as they grow. Which also reflects the complexities in the human nature..
Well developed, powerful and daunting characters are accessible to the reader. The story is narrated with alluring descriptions and dialogue and keep the readers arrested till the end. The coming of age of the youth is represented through the three young people in the story as they try to understand themselves. There is suspense,cruelty love and lust in all shapes and colors from rainbow to deep red.

The descriptive settings and the rich contents that touche many aspects of the era - from it`s wars,court politics,harems and society - would obviously lead the readers to learn about the real history of the Ottoman empire.The story also touches Islamism with an open mind but does not discuss any religion too deeply, though it explores complexities of human relationships and it`s nature in depth. Absolutely mesmeric,fascinating and original!! The saga will continue and I cannot wait to read the next one.
( With many thanks to Penguin Random House and Net Galley for the ARC )

And I Darken

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The Otherlife.

6/17/2016

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The Otherlife ( Ages 14+ )
By : Julia Gray
Publisher : Penguin Random House ( July 2016 )

What is lying there between the "other life" and "this life"? Maybe a thin line of powerful imagination and intelligence in plenty. Ben and Hobie, fueled by their extensive supply of fresh thoughts, take us across their fascinating world of mythology.

It`s dark, gloomy and tragic. But it sounds very real! Even those gods of Asgard and monsters: Baldr; the handsome god, Fenrir and Skoll; the wolves, Loki the mischievous one; the son of a giant. Frigg mother of Baldr; who travels across the world asking every single living thing to not harm her son! They all came to life in Ben`s mind slowly but fully as he learns the "other language" -Old Norse- from his beloved tutor, Jason. However, the long forgotten 'Otherlife' comes back to him a few years later. On the wake of a heavy metal night, in the wee hours of his first day of GCSE, he receives a message from the messenger god "Hermodr" about a death . Ben is disturbed and wonders who died! With his flustering visions of gods and his throbbing headaches, he tries to continue his normal schedule but feeling too distressed and lonely he decides to contact his beloved ex- tutor Jason who had helped him immensely in the past - and that`s when he hears a shocking news. Ben is determined to find out everything that happened.

Ben is a poor, talented, intelligent and lonely teenager who`s also deeply troubled by his parents' marriage issues. Their quarrels and his mother`s obsession with Ben`s exams and her constant reminders that he has to maintain his scholarship, altogether causes an unbearable pressure on him. He finds his solace, in the night by sleep walking, by day with heavy metal music, pain killers and through the mythological world introduced to him by Jason, the kindhearted and understanding young tutor whom Ben loves so much. And now, those gods of Asgard seem to guide Ben in the absence of Jason.

Hobie, on the other hand is a mischievous, energetic and self-centered boy, sometimes a class bully, wealthiest at the wealthy children`s school, with a stable household and steady parents. But he is frustrated and unhappy about his life, again thanks to his ambitious mother who`s obsessed with his scholarship and overprotective of him. His only comforts, before becoming friends with his classmate Ben, were rugby, playing "cruel" tricks on others and extensive indulgences into lavish food available abound in his household.

The story comes to life through Ben`s memories and Hobie`s diary. The tricky story lineup keeps up the captivating effect along with riveting detail and rich atmosphere. It reveals the complexities of a heavy demanding, highly competitive and forlorn student life as it cleverly brings out the downside of an almost outdated education system. The young people who would recognize the dark humor and mockery of the author`s descriptions ( " ...Miss Flower who had been reading an Excel spreadsheet from a wedding catering company while pretending to mark some books,..." ) may find some fun amongst those gloomy pages of Ben`s life.

Hobie wants to become friends with Ben for at first he seems to be different from others. Later, because Ben has something he doesn't have: " The Otherlife" - Hobie wants that too... ; Hobie describes the rest of their "8 Upper" class as "Super-geeks, the 'Greekists', the teeth-grinding, book-toting weirdos, the Gifted and Talented lot who can't even speak properly, some of them because their brain works too fast for their mouths." As days pass, their friendship moves into a trusting platform where Hobie`s love and admiration for his friend grows deeper and he becomes more caring. But their good times end too soon. Hobie`s beautifully written diary is at times funny, annoying and traumatic, and sometimes heart-breaking. It will entertain readers and keep them engrossed. And it will assure that with all his mischievousness and bad tricks, we still adore Hobie and grieve for him.

One could feel the enormous amounts of power and spirit blocked inside these young boys; and their need to be free of it all as they pace across the wilderness around Davella Hall;Horbie`s country house, pretending it to be Asgard lands and believing in their dreams, hearts beating to heavy metal music. Their innocence and vulnerability are so obvious to any adult/talented reader who, while sympathizing with them, may wish that they had mothers who understood them better.
Years later Ben returns to Duvalle hall wanting to know the truth and to solve the mystery of Jason`s tragedy guided by the dead metal heroes and his Norse gods......... In the end readers will weep not only for Baldr but for Loki as well.

Ben and Horbie along with the others in their world will linger in the back of our memories long afterwards. A sparkling fantasy-mystery! Beautifully written and heartbreaking, full of vivid and extreme characters that address YA readers as well their parents.

( With many thanks to Penguin Random House and Net Galley for the ARC )

The Otherlife

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Now I Rise

And I Darken.

The Otherlife.

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