Lada and her brother Radu are abandoned by their father and are raised in the Ottoman courts. Forever to never see their homeland in Wallachia again, their father didn’t like his children and wanted to replace them with a new heir. Lada is a character that you don’t typically see in YA novels. She is fierce, independent and brilliant. Lada can kick butt and manipulate people in a second. Almost to the point where she can’t relate to the others around her unless she is teaching them combat or strategy. Radu, her younger brother, grew up being teased or tormented and Lada was always there to protect him. The relationship between Radu and Lada was so nice to read about. They had such a strong bond that you knew that Lada would give her life to protect her brother. Lada could be the fiercest warrior on the battlefield but for her to ‘act’ and behave like a proper lady is nearly impossible for her. She can’t relate to any of the women around her. What I liked most about this story is that it’s a story about carving a space for yourself in the world. Whether you have no family or you’re looking for a family, you can find a way to be yourself and accept yourself. I liked the representation of LGBTQ+ in this novel. In most YA books at least that I have read, they don’t feel like real love, it’s almost an afterthought. But Radu’s love for Mehmed (the Prince) is so pure. He loves his Prince, and Radu becomes an important man in his court. The decision that he has to make for himself is one I think a lot of people can relate to, having to choose friendship over love. The individual stakes for each character were really high, if a character messed up or made the wrong move, they would lose everything. The only ‘negative’ thing I can say about this book is that I wish the writing had been tighter. I have to say though, the ending of the book was the best part of the novel. The writing was on point, and it was a page-turner. Another good thing about this book was that I never was able to guess what would happen next, and it was never cliche. I really enjoyed this read!