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

Now I Rise (And I Darken Series, #2)Now I Rise by Kiersten White
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up**

Now I Rise was book #2 for my TBR-Haul Project, which I discuss in detail in my review for the first book in this trilogy, And I Darken.

After completing that 1st-book, I knew I had to continue on ASAP. This is not the type of story you can walk away from.

I became fairly obsessed with the characters in the first book, but now I am properly obsessed.

I’m loving the vibes I am getting from Lada. Her self-proclaimed dragon-status is so friggen apt. She’s serving Red Wedding realness, that’s for sure.

Radu, as well, has captured my heart. He’s such a sweet baby bird, underestimated by many, who I want to protect with every fiber of my being.

As a second book, this was one of the best I have ever read as far as continuing to expand the world and never-ceasing tension found therein.

I don’t want to go into the plot too much as it may spoil the previous book. However, I will mention that after the conclusion of the first book, our three main actors, Lada, Radu and Mehmed, all find themselves in different places, pursuing their own goals.

I have read other books where part of the magic is having characters together. If there are ever times in the narrative where they are all apart, it doesn’t seem to work as well.

That is absolutely not the case here. I loved watching these characters move out on their own and continue to grow. Lada and Radu, though raised together, are on such separate trajectories; they want completely different things, but if you think about it, for the same reasons.

It’s such an interesting dynamic between the siblings.

This setting as well, with the expansion of the Ottoman Empire as a back-drop, is absolutely fascinating. I’m not sure how historically accurate it is, but from what I have read, it sounds like the author really did her research and tried to handle it with the upmost care.

It was a super refreshing, historical, real-world setting that made everything happening feel that much more intense and believable.

If you enjoy stories with a rich historical setting, a ton of political machinations and brutal, heart-rending characters, you have to pick up this series. It may be backlist, but it is very much worth your time.

I am so excited to see how this all wraps up!!!

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