From Goodreads: "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."

Thank you to Delacorte Press and Rockstar Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for review! All opinions are my own.

This was an absolutely fantastic conclusion to the And I Darken trilogy! It had all of the aspects of the first two books that I loved and just...wow. Bright We Burn blew me away and I am now 1000% sure that I've found one of my new insta-read authors in Kiersten White.

Plot:
Bright We Burn picks up right where Now I Rise left off and it kept me hooked from the very first page until the last. This is one of the darkest YA trilogies that I've ever read and it was everything I ever wanted from a book series. I love everything about it. There's villainous Lada, sweet Radu, blood and gore, political intrigue, death, destruction, battles, backstabbing, and so much more! I could seriously go on and on about how much is packed into this series and how wonderfully executed it all is. I love historical fiction books and this one is no exception. Bright We Burn exceeded any expectations I could have had for this finale. Like, my expectation was about sky/cloud level and the reality was more like...all the way to Pluto. It was so descriptive and flowed beautifully and was also absolutely terrifying at the same time because I wasn't sure how I would feel at the end. But it was amazingly fantastically splendid and every other positive word that I can think of to describe this book.

Characters:
Lada is one of my favorite characters of all time. Ever. Forever. She's so brutal and unforgiving and, well, crazy if I'm being honest. But it's her insanity that makes me love her even more. Her love for Wallachia, the one thing that she's always believed in and has vowed to take back is unwavering. She radiates power, strength, and pride in her home. No matter how many times she is knocked down or pushed around, she comes back one thousand times stronger and more terrifying. As a female in this world, she's looked down on and believed to be nothing- but she proves everyone wrong every single time. Lada is a terror on two feet, but she also shows rare moments of vulnerability. Of course, after those moments she then does something that reminds you just how vicious and pretty much dead inside she is! I couldn't get enough of her character and Bright We Burn just solidified my love for her even more. She's definitely an unlikable character, but she's written so well that there just ends up being something about her that you can't help but love.

Radu is a sweetheart and basically the complete opposite of Lada. He's clever, like Lada, but he's so much softer than she is (which is totally okay!). His character arc gave me life and, just like Lada, I couldn't get enough of him. I appreciated the differences between the two characters and how they were very much present throughout the book. There were so many times that Radu could have made choices that would have made him like his sister, but instead, he chose to be different and kind. He learns that you don't have to be brutal or a warrior to be brave and I just lived for his development throughout this book. Did I mention that I love these two siblings? Because I love these two siblings.

If I could say one thing about this trilogy and its characters, it's that it perfectly shows you that girls don't have to be delicate and covered in pink and boys don't have to be tough and mean. It's okay for girls to be brutal and vicious and covered in blood. It's okay for boys to be soft and sweet and smart. Typical gender stereotypes are broken and bent in this trilogy and it's so wonderful to see characters that aren't what you would expect them to be.

Writing:
Kiersten White's writing is absolutely phenomenal. She has a way with words that completely and totally captures your attention and makes you never want to leave her books. The world that she has created is so expansive and great and I genuinely felt that I was there in every scene, experiencing what was happening firsthand. These characters are some of the most well-developed people that I've ever read about and they feel like real people to me. You can tell that she did her research into the history that she's writing about and that she genuinely loves what she's created. She took the story of Vlad the Impaler and turned it on its head in the best way possible. I can't imagine how much of herself she put into this book, this trilogy, but you can feel it with every word she wrote.

This book is filled with lyrical writing, beautiful and precious characters, and a very satisfying ending to an unforgettable trilogy. If you're worried about how the series will end, fear not! Bright We Burn is everything you could have asked for and then some.

Get Bright We Burn here!