“And I Darken” is a Gritty, Violent Retelling of Vlad Dracula

What if Vlad Dracula was a girl? This famous historical figure, otherwise known as “Vlad the Impaler,” was a brutal prince who slaughtered thousands and grew up in fifteenth century Wallachia. And I Darken takes a new twist by creating the violent, psychotic character that is Ladislav Dragwlya.

This book was utterly captivating. It combined some of my favorite things—historical fiction, a creative retelling, and a main character who straddled the line between hero and villain. The totally screwed up story begins with Lada’s birth:

“Vlad Dracul’s heavy brow descended like a storm when the doctor informed him that his wife had given birth to a girl.”

Lada grows up fierce in the shadow of her father, constantly trying to win his favor. Her younger brother, Radu, is beautiful and frightened by everything. Lada looks out for him, but then realizes the best way she can protect him is to hide her love for him, so her enemies can’t use him against her.

“Control was power. No one would make her lose it. And eventually the tutor would realize that she would let him hit Radu over, and over, and over.
And only then would Radu be safe.”

When Lada and Radu are sent to the Ottoman courts they meet Mehmed, the son of a sultan, and the three form a close, intimate relationship that just gets more complicated as they grow older.

Lada was a powerful protagonist. She was bitter and angry at being taken from her homeland and acted so nonhuman at times, biting and beating her victims. This was what she thought when she saw her first impaling:

“The men were lifted into the air, and the stakes planted into the holes in the ground. Lada saw how the men’s own weight would slowly pull them down, forcing the stakes higher and higher along their spines until they finally exited through the throat.
She did not stop staring, but something behind her eyes shifted and changed the scene. She needed to see it differently. These men were not real. They did not matter.”

The fact that Lada was a girl raised some interesting questions. Could a female really be so cruel, so blood thirsty? Important rulers doubted Lada’s capacity to lead an army simply because she was a woman.

I thought the psychological side of Lada’s character was extremely well written. She was a huge admirer of her tyrannic father, so ever since she was young, she followed in his footsteps by not hesitating to hurt people.

This was a gory, completely intriguing retelling of history. I couldn’t believe how much grittier, how nasty this book was in comparison to White’s romantic fantasy, Illusions of Fate. I loved the writing and setting in Eastern Europe. And I’m absolutely terrified to find out what will happen next.