4.5 /5 - AAAAAAAAH THAT ENDING WAS SO GOOD, LADA!!!
I really do love her ruthlessness. I also love that we get to see what she cares for, *who* she cares for. And the fact that she knows she can be a ruthless dragon in charge of armies of men who wouldn't ever have considered a women capable of holding a knife, but she's still proud of her female body and mind.

I must say though... as opposed to book 1, I found Radu's chapters more exciting. The book remains very fast paced on both sides but Lada's story is centered around her own goal and is only really important to her. Whereas Radu's chapters follow the battle. The taking of Constantinople by Mehmed. And I felt more impatient to get back to what Radu was getting up to than Lada.
(Notice how what goes on in their chapters are a perfect representation of their personalities? Ugh)

As much as I love both characters so very much, I also want to punch them in the face sometimes. GET OVER MEHMED. None of you deserve him. Especially my darling Radu. Way too much of his time is spent wondering how he can make Mehmed proud. It was too much. My baby is clearly lost to his devotion to the sultan and it breaks my heart.

This whole series is centered around two siblings and their strong and complicated feelings for each other. They are so very different, have opposing personalities, want different things and act very differently, but in their core they both care about each other.
I love them both, as different as they are, and I honestly hope they will find a way to find each other again and manage to show their love.