Review: Now I Rise (The Conqueror's Saga, #2) by Kiersten White

Lada Dracul has no allies. No throne. All she has is what she’s always had: herself. After failing to secure the Wallachian throne, Lada is out to punish anyone who dares to cross her blood-strewn path. Filled with a white-hot rage, she storms the countryside with her men, accompanied by her childhood friend Bogdan, terrorizing the land. But brute force isn’t getting Lada what she wants. And thinking of Mehmed brings little comfort to her thorny heart. There’s no time to wonder whether he still thinks about her, even loves her. She left him before he could leave her.

What Lada needs is her younger brother Radu’s subtlety and skill. But Mehmed has sent him to Constantinople—and it’s no diplomatic mission. Mehmed wants control of the city, and Radu has earned an unwanted place as a double-crossing spy behind enemy lines. Radu longs for his sister’s fierce confidence—but for the first time in his life, he rejects her unexpected plea for help. Torn between loyalties to faith, to the Ottomans, and to Mehmed, he knows he owes Lada nothing. If she dies, he could never forgive himself—but if he fails in Constantinople, will Mehmed ever forgive him?

As nations fall around them, the Dracul siblings must decide: what will they sacrifice to fulfill their destinies? Empires will topple, thrones will be won . . . and souls will be lost. 

-- Goodreads.com --

This review may contain spoilers for the first book, And I Darken.

I received an arc from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. You can find my review for the first book, And I Darken here. I would like to thank the publisher, Random House Children's, for approving me to read this book, I’m very grateful for this opportunity.

Things I liked about Now I Rise:

- It is more action-packed than the first book, even though it is still very slow paced. A lot of the plot still revolves around politics, though.

- We got to know some minor characters from the first book better, like Hunyadi and Cyprian. I was immediately drawn to their storylines. I wished to see more of Oana, though. We were introduced to some amazing new characters as well, like Daciana and Guistiniani. I will let you discover these ones yourself.

- We see less of Mehmed!

- Kiersten White amped up the violence and the cruelty factor. If you thought the first book contained a lot of horrors, you better prepare yourself for the second one.

- The book alternates between a Lada chapter and a Radu chapter. At first, I was only interested in Lada's story, I thought Radu's part was quite boring, not much happened and his side was all politics. About 60 % into the book, things changed. I found myself enjoying Radu's chapters the most as they too became more action-packed.

- Radu slowly began to think more for himself instead of just blindly following Mehmed.


Things I didn't like:

- First of all, all these books in the trilogy are too long, in my opinion. They could and probably should have been a lot shorter.

- Mehmed has become even more insufferable, he and I will never get along.

- I would like to know more about all the secondary characters. I want to know more about Nicolai, Bogdan, Cyprian, etc. I feel they could have been more developed.

- Most of my dislikes from the first book haven't really changed in the sequel. The first book nicely set up the events in Now I Rise, but I'm not sure what is going to happen in the third book. I feel this could have been a duology.

- I would like to see more interaction between Lada and Radu.


I gave this book 3,5 stars because I liked it better than the first one. So, if you enjoyed And I Darken, you should definitely check out Now I Rise!

Publication date: June 27th 2017

Have you read this book or are you planning to? Leave your thoughts down below!

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Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Series I've Been Meaning To Start But Haven't

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week bloggers post their top ten on a previously suggested topic. This week's topic is top ten series I've been meaning to start reading but haven't so far. I own the first book in all the following series, I just haven't picked them up yet. It was actually quite difficult to just pick ten series because there are so many series I want to start!

1. Greatcoats by Sebastien de Castell

2. Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne by Brian Staveley 

3. Lightbringer by Brent Weeks

4. The Riyria Revelations by Michael J. Sullivan

5. Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

6. The Others by Anne Bishop

7. The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater 

8. An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

9. The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon 

10. Study by Maria V. Snyder

I've had Poison Study on my e-reader for two years now, but still haven't read it yet.


Which series do you want to start? Have you read any of the one mentioned above or are you planning to? Which series should I start next? Leave your thoughts down below!

Stacking the Shelves: May Book Haul Part 2

Stacking the Shelves is co-hosted by Reading Reality and Tynga's Reviews. Each week bloggers post the books they purchased or received. Last week I posted the first part of my May book haul which you can find here. This is the second part of my May book haul because I got way too many books last month... I just couldn't resist, you know how that is, right?

1. Flame in the Mist (Flame in the Mist #1) by Renee Ahdieh

I got this one in my Fairyloot box and it is one of my most anticipated books of the year! I hope to get to it soon!

2. A Court of Wings and Ruin (A Court of Thorns and Roses #3) by Sarah J. Maas

This was my most anticipated book and sadly I felt really disappointed. You can find my review here.

The next four books I got from the bookdepository for 20 euros, which I think is a pretty great bargain!

3. Traitor's Blade (Greatcoats #1) by Sebastien de Castell 

I've had this book on my radar for a while and when I saw it on the bookdepository for less than six euros, I couldn't resist buying it.

4. The Veil (Devil's Isle #1) by Chloe Neill

5. The Enchanted by Rene Denfeld

I've heard good things about this one! Can't wait to read it!

6. Pomfret Towers (Barsetshire #6) by Angela Thirkell

I've been wanting to read an Angela Thirkell book for a while now. This is the sixth book in a series though. Can anyone tell me if I need to read the others first?


I also got five e-books last month! I've been craving some romance novels lately, you can definitely leave some recommendations below!

7. Don't Stop Me Now by Colleen Coleman

I actually got approved to read this on Netgalley but back then I didn't realize I had to download it before it disappeared. And it did disappear, so when I saw the e-book for less than 3 euros, I got it without thinking twice! I'll be reviewing this one soon!

8. Bully (Fall Away #1) by Penelope Douglas

I got these Penelope Douglas books because I watched PeaceLoveBooksxo on Youtube recommending them often. And they were cheap.

9. Punk 57 by Penelope Douglas 

10. Romancing the Duke (Castles Ever After #1) by Tessa Dare

I actually really enjoyed this one! I'll be reading more of this author in the future! I decided to try these out after watching April from Aprilius Maximus on Youtube talking about it.

11. If I Only Had a Duke (The Disgraceful Dukes #2) by Lenora Bell 

Once again on the recommendation of Jessica from PeaceLoveBooksxo.


Which books did you get recently? Have you read any of these books or are you planning to? Leave your thoughts down below!

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Review: And I Darken (The Conqueror's Saga #1) by Kiersten White

No one expects a princess to be brutal. And Lada Dragwyla likes it that way.

Ever since she and her brother were abandoned by their father to be raised in the Ottoman sultan’s courts, Lada has known that ruthlessness is the key to survival. For the lineage that makes her and her brother special also makes them targets.

Lada hones her skills as a warrior as she nurtures plans to wreak revenge on the empire that holds her captive. Then she and Radu meet the sultan’s son, Mehmed, and everything changes. Now Mehmed unwittingly stands between Lada and Radu as they transform from siblings to rivals, and the ties of love and loyalty that bind them together are stretched to breaking point.

The first of an epic new trilogy starring the ultimate anti-princess who does not have a gentle heart. Lada knows how to wield a sword, and she'll stop at nothing to keep herself and her brother alive.

- Goodreads.com description -



And I Darken is a gender swapped young adult retelling of Vlad the Impaler.
I have such mixed feelings about this book that it was hard to decide on a rating. 

Let's start with the things I liked about this book:

- I really liked the main characters Lada and Radu. They are the very opposites of each other. Lada, the female version of Vlad the Impaler is a though girl, who likes to fight, refuses to marry anyone and detests wearing dresses. Her brother Radu, is a kind soul, does not like to fight and is desperate to be loved. He is an easy target but his sister is a force to be reckoned with.

- The book starts with the birth of Lada and Radu and we follow them through childhood to their teenage years. They are well developed characters and because we know their entire history, we are able to understand their feelings and choices better.

- The side characters Bogdan and especially Nicolae are amazing! The latter is a fun and welcome addition to the story and I wish to see more of him in the sequels. 

- The political intrigue in this book was well done but I personally prefer a bit more action in young adult novels. 

- The last 100-150 pages picked up the pace for me and there finally was some action. The plot twists were not that spectacular but definitely not bad either.

Things I didn't like about this book:

- Probably my main complaint is the fact that this book is very, very, very slow paced. I lost interest in this book a couple of times and ultimately put it aside three times in order to read different books. Like I said, the pace does pick up in the last 100 pages or so. I really think this book should have been shorter.

- I did not like the love interest, Mehmed, at all. I wish there hadn't been a love interest at all, actually, because I personally found the relationships in this book cringeworthy. Mehmed, in my opinion, does not deserve all the love bestowed on him. He is married and has a harem full of women and it's his duty to father as much sons as possible. Urgh, just no.

Furthermore, Mehmed quickly became the centre of the book, everything suddenly is all about him while I just wanted Lada and Radu to ditch him. I do not care for this dude at all. I hope to see a lot less of him in the following books but I'm not going to get my hopes up.

- Even though this is mostly historical accurate, I did not like how women were treated in this book. Women are literally nothing. Thankfully, Lada fights against this and we do see some very resourceful women throughout this novel, it just irked me most of the time.

- All of these characters but especially Lada and Radu are achingly lonely throughout the entire book. I just wish these siblings would talk to each other about their feelings instead of fighting all the time.

All things considered, I decided to give this book 3 stars but this might lower in the future. Since I was ready to throw it out of the window multiple times while reading it, a three star rating might not be fair.


Have you read And I Darken or are you planning to? Leave your thoughts down below!

Review: Before the Rains by Dinah Jefferies

A romantic, heart-wrenching tale of love against the odds from the Number One Sunday Times bestselling author

1930, Rajputana, India. Since her husband's death, 28-year-old photojournalist Eliza's only companion has been her camera. When the British Government send her to an Indian princely state to photograph the royal family, she's determined to make a name for herself.

But when Eliza arrives at the palace she meets Jay, the Prince's handsome, brooding brother. While Eliza awakens Jay to the poverty of his people, he awakens her to the injustices of British rule. Soon Jay and Eliza find they have more in common than they think. But their families - and society - think otherwise. Eventually they will have to make a choice between doing what's expected, or following their hearts. . .

-- Goodreads.com description -






First of all, I want to thank Netgalley and the publishers, Penguin Books (UK) and Viking, for providing me with an arc copy. I'm really grateful for this opportunity. I have received an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

I requested this book because I'm currently in the mood to read romance stories and I have always enjoyed books or movies about India and/or Indian culture.

Unfortunately, this book and I did not click. After reading the first 20%, I started skim reading. In the end, I decided not to finish this book. This is not a decision I take lightly, but I don't think I would enjoy it more if I finished it.

Even though I did not finish Before the Rains, I will briefly review the part I did read.

Writing styles are a very personal thing, I've read books I really enjoyed but others really hated because of the writing style. One of these books that immediately comes to mind, is Nevernight by Jay Kristoff, which I personally loved but many of friends did not care for at all. Dinah Jefferies writing style really did not click with me, I found it too descriptive, more telling than showing. When I don't enjoy a particular writing style, it becomes a task to read a book. The last books I did not finish because of the same reasons were Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness and William Faulkner's Absalom, Absalom! Both novels are considered classics and master pieces but I just could not finish them. Many people do enjoy them, so the fault lies with me. I feel the same about finishing Before the Rains. This does not mean you would not be able to enjoy it. Like I mentioned before, this is a personal preference.

The descriptions in Before the Rains are very repetitive. Eliza is a photographer and describes the subjects of photo's multiple times using the same adjectives over and over. Things like this, are why the writing style annoys me.

I read books to connect with the characters, if I don't connect with any of them, I will not enjoy the book. I tried liking the characters in Before the Rains, I really did, but they all felt so flat to me. Sadly, I didn't click with any of them.

Since I did not finish this book, I do not feel comfortable rating it, so I won't. I did not click with this novel but this doesn't mean you would not enjoy it. If the plot sounds intriguing, by all means, check the book out. A writing style is a personal thing, you either enjoy it or you don't. In this case I didn't but that doesn't mean you won't. This book actually has a 4.1 rating on Goodreads, so I'm definitely in the minority of people who did not enjoy it.

Have you read this book or are you planning to? Leave your thoughts down below!

Review: Nasty Women by 404 Ink

With intolerance and inequality increasingly normalised by the day, it's more important than ever for women to share their experiences. We must hold the truth to account in the midst of sensationalism and international political turmoil. Nasty Women is a collection of essays, interviews and accounts on what it is to be a woman in the 21st century.

People, politics, pressure, punk - From working class experience to racial divides in Trump’s America, being a child of immigrants, to sexual assault, Brexit, pregnancy, contraception, identity, family, finding a voice online, role models and more, Laura Jane Grace of Against Me!, Zeba Talkhani, Chitra Ramaswamy are just a few of the incredible women who share their experience here.

Keep telling your stories, and tell them loud. 

-- Goodreads.com description --

I received an advanced reader's copy from the publishers and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

First, I want to thank the publishers for providing me with an arc, I'm very grateful for this opportunity. This is one of the first non-fiction books I have ever read in my spare time. I'm not familiar with the genre and therefore I can't compare it to other feminist works.

Nasty Women is a collection of essays on what it is to be a woman in the 21st century. These essays were written after the Donald Trump was elected president of the United States. Some essays deal with how this influenced their lives (in a negative way) but there are many other topics as well.

I wanted to read Nasty Women because I want to read more feminist texts. For me, this collection of essays was the perfect introduction to the genre. The texts are very diverse, some talk about racial and sexual issues, others talk about weight problems, etc. I found Nasty Women illuminating. The accounts of these women hit me hard sometimes. It offers very different perspectives and every single one is pertinent.

I thought the collection started out strong with an essay about how Trump's election influences people around you, even your own family, to feel it's okay to be racist and sexist. And that's simply heart-breaking.

One thing I really want to point out, is that potential trigger warnings are given at the beginning of these essays. This means you can easily skip an essay if you prefer not to read about rape or abuse, for instance.

All in all, as one of my first non-fiction and feminist reads, I really liked it. After reading each essay, I felt the need to discuss it immediately which probably annoyed my family to death. Nasty Women offers personal stories written by women who don't "fit in" with society's norms in various ways. These different perspective can at times be difficult to read. I am a privileged white female living in Belgium and I have learned a lot by reading Nasty Women. These passionate accounts often made me angry and sad at the same time. 

I gave this collection 5 out of 5 stars! I would highly recommend this book if you want to read some hard-hitting, feminist essays. This was a perfect introduction to feminist literature and I will definitely read more of these books in the future! Really, everyone should read Nasty Women, I was truly impressed by this collection.

Have you read Nasty Women or are you planning to? Leave your thoughts down below! Also, I would love to get some other feminist fiction or non-fiction recommendations!

Stacking the Shelves: May Book Haul Part 1

Stacking the Shelves is co-hosted by Reading Reality and Tynga's Reviews. Each week bloggers post the books they purchased or received. I got way too many books last month, so I'll be splitting this up in two parts. This is part one, obviously.

1. I Hate Fairyland, Vol. 2: Fluff My Life by Skottie Young, Jean-François Beaulieu (Illustrator)

I got this in my local comic store. I went in looking for the second volume of Giant Days but ended up buying the second one of I Hate Fairyland! I really enjoy both of these comic series and would highly recommend them!

2. Giant Days, Vol. 2 by John Allison (Goodreads Author), Lissa Treiman (Illustrator), Max Sarin (Illustrator), Whitney Cogar (Colorist)

Really enjoyed this one but I don't like the new art style as much as the previous one. 

3. Giant Days, Vol. 3 by John Allison (Goodreads Author), Max Sarin (Illustrations), Whitney Cogar (Colorist), Jim Campbell (Letterer), Lissa Treiman (Cover Artist)

I still need to read this one.

4. Geekerella by Ashley Poston 

This was my favourite book last month! You can find my review here.

5. Queen of Shadows (Throne of Glass #4) by Sarah J. Maas

I finally started reading the Throne of Glass series last month, so I decided to get this one in paperback.


I continued collecting a couple of Penguin English Library editions in May:

6. Lady Audley's Secret by Mary Elizabeth Braddon

7. The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins

8. The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy

9. Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton

10. The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot

I haven't read any of these classic authors yet (with the exception of Hardy's poems) and I need to change that as soon as possible! 


Which books did you recently get? Have you read any of the books mentioned above? Leave a message down below!


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