Name: Allison
Grade: 8th
Title: Now I Rise
Author: Kiersten White
Published in: 2017
Pages: 482
Rating: 4 stars
Review: Now I Rise is the second installment of Kiersten White’s And I Darken trilogy. Both follow the somewhat twisted and convoluted relationship of three 14th century historical figures, and both explore the inner, darker workings of human nature. In Now I Rise, Lada, one of the story’s ruthless main characters, tries to claim the throne of Wallachia. Unfortunately for Lada, former lover Emperor Mehmed is somewhat desperate to have her back, and attempts all sorts of shenanigans to claim Lada as his own. He’s also, inconveniently, aiming to conquer the holy city of Constantinople at the same time via siege. This is when all hell breaks loose and Lada’s brother Radu is sent to work as Mehmed’s spy in Constantinople. As a result, the whole story is laden with betrayal, murder, blood, and all kinds of gory/violent details. If this sort of stuff sounds like your thing, then you will relish White’s Now I Rise.
Although the first book (And I Darken) was initially difficult for me to engage in, I eventually became hooked on the simplistic style White uses to describe her characters. The same is true for Now I Rise. It is gripping, thrilling, and dark, all at the same time. My favorite character, Radu, is probably the most relatable person in the story. He’s a young, gay, and extremely handsome man vying to win the attention of his childhood friend Mehmed. On the flip side, Lada and Mehmed seem almost inhuman, which I felt was a con and made it difficult to fully connect with the two. They’re so merciless that some of the scenes in the book gave me an inner shudder.
As previously mentioned above, if violence, a dark plot, and betrayal happen to fit your preferences, then by all means I recommend this book to you. There’s plenty of that in this story. Readers averse to savagery, though, may want to skip this one in favor of a lighter read. In comparison, Now I Rise is very similar to the Throne of Glass and The Lunar Chronicles series; if you liked those then Now I Rise may just fit the bill.
AFL Teen Book Reviews 