Heiress Dracula

And I Darken by Kiersten White
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Lately there has been trend to transform male characters into female character for a modern retelling. It was done with Starbuck in the “Battlestar Galactica “ reboot. Marvel comics is doing it with Thor. This one does it with Dracula. Her name is Ladislava.

Vlad Dracul is a member of the “ Order of the Dragon” set up by the Pope of the Catholic Church to fight infidels. Infidels meaning Muslim Turks. Of course Dracul is a member of the Byzantine Orthodox Church and at times he makes treaties with the Ottoman Turks only to break them. Radislava is the first born and she is female, definitely not a mark of prestige. Yet she grows up behaving like a man. She fights, she is brave and daring qualities of a good warrior. Her younger brother Radu is a boy but weak, pretty and charming. Dracul begin to favor his daughter. Growing up in Tirgoviste Radu is bullied upon by the other boyar children and by his older brother Mircea. Ladislava fights his battle for him. When things get shaky in Tirgoviste Dracul barters his children away to gain a treaty with Sultan Murad.

In the capital of the Ottoman Empire, Edirne. They grow up in a luscious ottoman court where a tutor teachers them the tents of Islam and the ways of Turkey. Soon they befriend Mehmet the Sultans third son and end up going with him to Amasya. Together they have adventures and get cauht up in court intrigues. Radu finds out about himself and his forbidden desires. Ladislava learns to fight and trains it the Janniseries. She fights for the Sultan and saves his life.
A great book for young adults although there are some things that I would not deem suitable for Young Adult, like having wo guys making out. They can be exposed to that later. The rest of the book is good and shows the complexities of growing up in court and being a teenager


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