by Kiersten White
Published on July 10, 2018 by Delacorte Press
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 416
Genres: Historical, Young Adult
Haunted by the sacrifices he made in Constantinople, Radu is called back to the new capital. Mehmed is building an empire, becoming the sultan his people need. But Mehmed has a secret: as emperor, he is more powerful than ever . . . and desperately lonely. Does this mean Radu can finally have more with Mehmed . . . and would he even want it?
Lada's rule of absolute justice has created a Wallachia free of crime. But Lada won't rest until everyone knows that her country's borders are inviolable. Determined to send a message of defiance, she has the bodies of Mehmed's peace envoy delivered to him, leaving Radu and Mehmed with no choice. If Lada is allowed to continue, only death will prosper. They must go to war against the girl prince.
But Mehmed knows that he loves her. He understands her. She must lose to him so he can keep her safe. Radu alone fears that they are underestimating his sister's indomitable will. Only by destroying everything that came before--including her relationships--can Lada truly build the country she wants.
Claim the throne. Demand the crown. Rule the world.
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Okay. So. First thing’s first. I’m SO sad that this series is over. Like, my heart feels a little shriveled and small knowing that I won’t get to read more of Lada and Radu’s stories and that is so, so sad. But all good things come to an end, right? And The Conqueror’s Saga had been a very good thing.
I enjoyed books one and two of this series immensely. The final installment, Bright We Burn, was no exception. There was a whole lot to love in this one, and while it wasn’t perfect, it felt like the right way to conclude the series.
Geez, this review is hard to write without spoiling things ha, but I promise to do my best and keep this all spoiler-free!
Lada and Radu were just as fantastic as ever in this one. Lada was so fierce, and honestly, I’ve never liked her much. But that doesn’t mean she isn’t entertaining to read about. She’s not a good person by any means. She does lots of awful things throughout this series and Bright We Burn is no different. And as someone who loves a good hero, I just never could bring myself to get totally behind Lada. But White wrote her character SO well, that even though she wasn’t someone I’d normally root for, I so thoroughly enjoyed reading Lada’s story. That felt like a huge accomplishment and really makes this series stand out for me. Radu was as loveable as ever, I just like him so much. Mehmed can rot in a corner for all I care(I’m pretty sure I’ve said something to this effect in all of my reviews for this series? Consistency FTW!).
The story was fast paced, as easy to read as ever. My one complaint with this book, and the only reason I knocked a star off, is that it was pretty predictable. About two-thirds of the way through I was pretty sure I knew how everything was going to go down, and it played out almost exactly how I thought it would. I like to be surprised by books, so this was a little bit of a letdown. That said, the ending was really good, and it just felt right. All of the characters wrapped up in a way that worked really well. Like I said at the beginning of this review, I’m sad the series is over, and the ending really played up the nostalgia and hit me hard despite how predictable it was.
Overall, Bright We Burn was a great series conclusion. I’ll really miss reading about Lada’s temper tantrums, about Radu being wonderful. (I won’t miss Mehmed, though, #sorrynotsorry).
About Katie
I'm a twenty-something aspiring writer who really, really needs to get back to revisions. I've been reviewing books since 2014, and am determined to somehow make stories my day job. I truly think that every book out there contains something good and is meant for somebody.
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