Recommended for those who like historical fiction, political schemes & a fierce, bad-ass girl bent on proving she can do anything a man can do. This book is about the childhood of Lada Dracula (the Impaler) who’s full of fury & longs to prove that no man will control her, or ever be her equal. This will pull on your heartstrings as it refreshingly escapes all the usual traps & tropes of typical YA fiction. It is thoughtfully deep, moving, surprising, original and fascinatingly dark, with plenty of teenage angst & brooding. The MC’s are brilliantly clever & ferociously brave, but raw, broken and quite relatable. Even though this book is about opposing kingdoms, there is surprisingly very little action in the 471 pages. Perhaps there will be more in the sequel? Since it is lacking in the exciting-action department, it might be hard for some fantasy lovers to feel fully invested.
