And I Darken (The Conqueror's Saga #1) by Kiersten White - Restarting November 4th 2021

[AHHHHHH]

Chapter 35
(view spoiler)[ Lada has her own comand! That must have been unheard of for the time she lived in! That makes her glory even better, of course. I’m so happy for her. For a second I thought that Nikolae would actually back down upon her, but I’m glad I was wrong. How could I mistrust someone with a name so similar to Nikolai’s (Lanstov) lol. (hide spoiler)]

[AHHHHHH]

Chapter 44
(view spoiler)[ I wonder what Radu’s plans for Halil Pasha are? (hide spoiler)]

[Abi]

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Reading from the 16th of March 2018

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[Amanda]

End of chapter 3 (view spoiler)[ holy crap, talk about messed up family dynamics! I love Lada though. She may be an unruly child but she is also outspoken and fearless. (hide spoiler)]

[Em⋆]

22%
(view spoiler)[I love how stong and fearless Lada is, eventhough she is so young. I am tired of Radu crying all the time. Is's funny that Vlad didn't want a daughter because he thought women were weak, but instead his daughter is the strong one and his son the weak one. (hide spoiler)]

[Amanda]

End of chapter 12 (view spoiler)[ I think I have a good sense for everything that's going on. History wise I am a bit lost though. I winder if Radu will get into trouble for practicing Islam.. I also think that their father will die or something.. (hide spoiler)]

I have a paperback copy, so could you mention what chapter you are on Lucia?

[Em⋆]

Amanda wrote: "End of chapter 12 [spoilers removed]

I have a paperback copy, so could you mention what chapter you are on Lucia?"
I am currently on chapter 24.

[Amanda]

Lucia wrote: "22%
[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[ yeah it's hard to respect Radu. Honestly I am so sick of reading books that have characters that fall flat without personality. Even though Lada can be a little brutal I appreciate that she is flawed rather than perfect. (hide spoiler)]

[Jennifer]

End of chapter 4.
(view spoiler)[Lada and Radu both have turned out opposite of what Vlad thought. (hide spoiler)]

[Natalie]

Chapters 1-12

(view spoiler)[ Don’t know how I feel about Lada yet. I like how she doesn’t let anyone tell her who she is and what she has to be. But she is so mean to Radu! I know that no one likes Radu, but I do! He can be whiny at times, but he is sweet and tries to find the best in things. They are complete opposites of each other. (hide spoiler)]

[Amanda]

End of chapter 20 (view spoiler)[ this is going soooo slow. I am pretty bored with reading this honestly.. I like the characters but when is something going to happen? (hide spoiler)]

[Amanda]

End of chapter 21 (view spoiler)[ That's what I'm talking about. Give me the action! Lada saved his life. It is important to be fierce (hide spoiler)]

[Amanda]

End of chapter 23 (view spoiler)[ I am reminded of GOT with the eunuch spies. I also really like Huma. She uses what she has to gain power. This book picked up suddenly and it has become so much more interesting. I'm glad I powered through the part I found boring. (hide spoiler)]

[Amanda]

End of chapter 27 (view spoiler)[ oooh romancee. As Lada has grown up she has kind of softened a little bit. I like her a lot better now. I have suspicions that Radu is gay. (hide spoiler)]

[Jennifer]

End of chapter 9
(view spoiler)[I think Radu is going to be the one to watch. No one pays attention to him, he will be able to know everything going on in Wallachia. (hide spoiler)]

[Amanda]

End of chapter 28 (view spoiler)[ eeeee omg okay so i was right about radu being gay, but he's not ready to admit it to himself. Who is Mehmed marrying?!?! I hope its Lada, but i feel like it isn't. I'm so nervous. Wow I can't believe I was ready to put this book down a bit back. (hide spoiler)]

[Amanda]

End of chapter 30 (view spoiler)[ Ah now Radu will finally admit it to himself. If I was Lada I would not fall for the shit spewing out of Mehmed's mouth. I would never settle with sharing a lover or a husband with a whole harem. Maybe it is because the concept is foreign to me, but I am too jealous of a person to deal with my husband having another wife. Early on Lada said it was an abomination. I wonder if her love for Mehmed will overshadow her earlier belief. (hide spoiler)]

[Natalie]

End of chapter 19

(view spoiler)[ I can’t decide how I feel about Lada and Radu. Now I’m starting to like Lada. She has spunk and doesn’t let anyone tell her what to do. And she is starting to be nicer to Radu. I wonder what she is goingto be up to now that Mehmed is the sultan and she can use him. Radu is starting to get annoying. I like Mehmed so far. He seems to make Lada less violent and bring her and Radu together. But the overall story is boring! Nothing has happened that is interesting. Hopefully things will start happening. (hide spoiler)]

[Amanda]

Natalie wrote: "End of chapter 19

[spoilers removed]"

@ Natalie this is where I almost set the book down. It picks up around chapter 23

[Natalie]

@Amanda. Good. I’m close to just not finishing.

[Amanda]

@Natalie So was I! It gets better. Actually after chapter 23 it got A LOT better. I was like falling asleep and now I'm captivated again. So I would give it a little bit longer.

[Jennifer]

End of chapter 14
(view spoiler)[so If Lada goes with Mehmed, does that mean she doesn’t have to marry his cousin? (hide spoiler)]

[Gillian]

I would love to join you all if thats ok.

[Em⋆]

Beggining of chapter 28
(view spoiler)[ I really hope Mehmed doesn't find out why he had to leave the throne, eventhough that seems inevitable. I think Radu is gay, but he doesn't know or doesn't want to accept it yet. (hide spoiler)]

[Amanda]

Lucia wrote: "Beggining of chapter 28
[spoilers removed]"

I had similar thoughts at this point

[Em⋆]

Amanda wrote: "Lucia wrote: "Beggining of chapter 28
[spoilers removed]"

I had similar thoughts at this point"
What chapter are you reading?

[Natalie]

End of chapter 28

(view spoiler)[ So glad it finally started to pick up. Now I’m really interested. Just when I was starting to like Mehmed, he ends up having a son! What? Ugh, I was so excited for Lada. It’s interesting to see how her personality changed over the years. She is finally more calm and mature and not as violent. I really don’t like Radu anymore. He is obsessed with Mehmed. And it’s getting kind of annoying. (hide spoiler)]

[Amanda]

@ Lucia I'm on chapter 36

@ Natalie (view spoiler)[ I agree. Like good for Radu on his sexuality, but you can't be pissed that someone who is straight doesn't like you that way. It's like the equivalent of a man complaining about "being friend zoned". Like... you can't force feelings where they don't exist. (hide spoiler)]

[Amanda]

Chapter 36 (view spoiler)[It's kind of crap that Lada has to prove her skills and Radu gets to lead troops even though he admits that he has no idea what he's doing. Ohhhh historical sexism kills me. (hide spoiler)]

[Jennifer]

End of chapter 24
(view spoiler)[ I do feel sorry for mehmed, I hope that he doesn’t find out why he had to leave the throne and if he does that he can try to understand (hide spoiler)]

[Em⋆]

Finished.
(view spoiler)[ Lada left with her Jannisary friends and Bogdan (I really thought he was not going to appear again) to Wallachia to claim the throne. I look forward to read the second book. (hide spoiler)]

[Amanda]

end of 41 (view spoiler)[ I read the entire Game of Thrones series, which is full of war, and never did I feel the emotional side of it as I do when Radu experiences his first kill and disease that surrounds him. I thought the letter he signed about Mehmed was his way of getting Lada out of the way, not that Lazar was trying to get rid of her. I truly believed that Radu would let his jealousy get the better of him like that. Looking back I know that he is too morally righteous to do such a thing to his sister, even when he resents her. I was just saying that I have never read a love triangle where there were two women and one man, but I also have never read about a love triangle like this. I wish Radu would get over Mehmed and be with Lazar. (hide spoiler)]

[Natalie]

End of chapter 36

(view spoiler)[ Get over yourself Radu! I can’t believe I ever liked him. He is so whiny. All he does now is whine about how Mehmed doesn’t love him back, Lada loving Mehmed, and how she doesn’t have anyone to talk to. So annoying. And now he has his own men? Go Lada! She’s finally proving herself to the men that have belittled her for years. (hide spoiler)]

[Amanda]

End of chapter 46 (view spoiler)[ Now that is a perfect marriage for the time period! (hide spoiler)]

[Natalie]

End of chapter 47

(view spoiler)[ Bodgan is back! Can’t wait to see him and Lada become friends again and catch up. Or maybe they won’t becaise of Lada’s “relationship” (if you could call it that) with Mehmed. Mehmed is getting on my nerves. He has a whole harem of women and yet when Bodgan comes into the picture he gets all jealous and pissy. Not cool! (hide spoiler)]

[Amanda]

Natalie wrote: "End of chapter 47

[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[ I can't find myself to accept the harem. I would never want to share my lover. But at the same time society doesn't accept gays in this time period. Really makes you think about sexuality and how different things are accepted in different times and societies. (hide spoiler)]

[Natalie]

End of chapter 50

(view spoiler)[ Woah. A lot happened in this chapter. It all makes sense now. Why Lazar wrote that letter to Lada saying that Mehmed was dead. Radu is finally starting to become the least bit likable again. He saved Lada over Mehmed. Finally! He realizes that Lada is his family and he would do anything fo her. I just hope he doesn’t screw up again. Not really liking Mehmed. Why won’t he tell Lada that her father is dead? (hide spoiler)]

[Natalie]

Finished

(view spoiler)[ ANOTHER SON!! I really don’t like Mehmed. He says he loves Lada and she it for him. But he’s just popping out babies every other week! I don’t know how to feel right now. I’m glad that Lada left to claim Wallachia, but she left Mehmed and Radu. I love that Bodgan and Nicolae came with her. Nicolae is probably my favorite character. Can’t wait to see more of him. Mehmed needs to give up Constantinople. It’s ridiculous! Just because the prophet, peace be upon him (That really got on my nerves) said someone would take it over doesn’t mean you have to! (hide spoiler)]

[Jennifer]

End of chapter 36
(view spoiler)[I can’t believe Radu comes back to Edirne and the Sultan gives him his own command basically out of the blue. I wonder what was the motive behind it? (hide spoiler)]

[Jennifer]

End of chapter 40
(view spoiler)[Ugh! I am over Radu whining over Mehmed. I kind of feel sorry for Mehmed, he sees Radu as his one true friend besides Lada. What is going to happen if he finds out. (hide spoiler)]

[Amanda]

Jennifer wrote: "End of chapter 40
[spoilers removed]"

Exactly. Did you read my response to Natalie on chapter 28? Like jeeze

[Jennifer]

Amanda wrote: "Jennifer wrote: "End of chapter 40
[spoilers removed]"

Exactly. Did you read my response to Natalie on chapter 28? Like jeeze"

I totally agree!

[Jennifer]

End of chapter 49
(view spoiler)[omg!! What the hell, didn’t see that coming even though Lada suspected someone trying to kill Mehmed. (hide spoiler)]

[Jennifer]

Finished
(view spoiler)[ I kind of figured that Lada would go to Wallachia, besides that is why Mehmed didn’t tell her about her Father’s death. It is sad that she left both Mehmed and Radu. I am interested to see the direction the story takes. Will they end up fighting on opposite sides the the battlefield?>spoiler> (hide spoiler)]

[Gillian]

25% (view spoiler)[ Lada and Radu have had a twisted childhood but together I think they could become very powerful. Radu is learning where his strengths are and Lada is one fierce kid (hide spoiler)]

[Gillian]

50% aprox (view spoiler)[ It has taken all this time for Radu to work out that he is homosexual, despite the constant hints throughout the whole book so far. Every time a hint was given I felt like screaming get it over and done with so we can get on with the story. (hide spoiler)]

[Gillian]

90% (view spoiler)[ A law that allows you to kill your own siblings for the sake of the country WTF is she insane. (hide spoiler)]

[Gillian]

Finished: (view spoiler)[ I don't think I like Mehmed. He is typical Sultan with all his concubines and see's nothing wrong with producing illegitimate children with them, while having an affair with Lada. I was so glad when she chose to leave at the end with her little band of followers. It will be interesting to read the next book I hope the story is not as drawn out as this one has been. (hide spoiler)]

[Abi]

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Reading from the 23rd of July 2018

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[Lara]

Chapter 12: (view spoiler)[ I feel like Radu knows more about everything than he's letting on... He's probably my favourite character at this point, I'm still unsure about Lada. (hide spoiler)]