Bright We Burn by Kiersten White

Pages: 400
Publish date: July 5th, 2018
Publisher: Corgi Childrens
ISBN: 9780552573764
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU – QBD

Bright We Burn:

This has to be one of my favourite series of all time. I love everything about it. It’s intense, brutal and keeps you on edge the whole time. Both Lada and Radu go against the norms of protagonists in YA and that just takes this trilogy to a whole different level. 

After the events of Now I Rise, Lada is leading at Wallachia and will stop at nothing to make it crime free. She won’t stop until everyone knows that she is now ruling and it’s her land. Back in Constantinople, Mehmed is now ruling as Sultan and Ruda is called back to be with him. But Ruda is not only dealing with the downfall of Constantinople but the sacrifices that he had to make. When Lada sends back some of Mehmed’s men, dead, Mehmed knows he has to deal with her and who better than sending her own brother. Lada has spent years fighting for what she believes in and she won’t be easily stopped. 

I don’t think I will ever stop talking about this trilogy. It’s just so fantastic, I can’t even begin to explain. I wasn’t sure what to expect going into Bright We Burn. I know how things went down in history, but I wasn’t so sure how things would go in this book. death, destruction, and sacrifices I was prepared for, tearing me apart I was not. 

Lada is such an interesting protagonist. The female version of Vlad the Impaler, she has no mercy and will stop at nothing to show that her gender doesn’t matter. Throughout the previous two books, we slowly get to see how horrific Lada could be, but everything went up ten notches in Bright We Burn. Lada is fierce and strong from the start, but as the novel goes on we do get to see that she is vulnerable and a lot of that comes down to both Mehmed and Ruda. They are both her downfall. While she isn’t fazed by killing, she lacks experience in other areas and that really shone through in Bright We Burn. I am just so fascinated by Lada as a character overall. Lada’s unique, brutal and is perfectly written. 

There are a lot of things that happen in Bright We Burn involving Lada and it really made from an interesting book. I don’t want to spoil too much, but I think that Kiersten White’s characterisation and arc of Lada is so balance and just works so damn well.  

Ruda, my sugar plum. He is just too precious that I can’t control it. Ruda has grown a lot from And I Darken, he has not only learned a lot of about himself, but also those that he loves. I think that Ruda gets to really shine in Bright We Burn. He not only gets to lead in a way but also gets to know himself a little more. In saying that, as much as a love Ruda, his blind love and devotion for Mehmed, is his downfall. He will do anything for him because Ruda believes that there is a small chance that Mehmed might love him too. And while we get to see things in the previous two books, it really takes a turn in Bright We Burn. 

There is one scene between Ruda and Lada that broke my heart. She is one tough person, but I could feel all the pain she was going through because of Ruda and his loyally to Mehmed and not his blood.

Mehmed, all I can say is that I hate him. I don’t think I have disliked a character so much in a book that I love. He is deceiving, manipulative and just wants and needs to get his way. He’s like a small child, that throws a tantrum when their parents don’t buy them a toy.  He can’t make up his mind and wants everything and anything, no matter who he hurts in the process. 

Bright We Burn is fantastic. There were things that happened that just blew me the hell away. I didn’t know what to think or what to do. I kept second guessing everything that happened and didn’t know who to trust. Lada and Ruda have a lot of family struggles in Bright We Burn and it really did hurt me. One of Lada’s plot lines, gosh it was done so well and made me burst with excitement. I loved the way that Bright We Burn flowed. There were some seriously intense moments where your heart would be jumping. But then there were these beautiful moments that made me want to cry. In saying all this, there was also a lot of death in Bright We Burn and some really did hurt. Here is a photo of what I was like at the end of the book…

Overall, if you haven’t picked up this trilogy please do. Bright We Burn by Kiersten White is intense, brutal and keeps you on the edge of your seat. This book left me a mess but in the best possible way. This gender twist, historical fiction explores family, finding yourself and war. It explores new life, being strong and finding your place. Lada and Radu and some of the most intriguing, captivating and alluring protagonist I have ever read and they will never leave me. It’s about war and betrayal, oh all the betrayal and will leave you gobsmacked right at the end. This books is dark, don’t forget that Lada is the female Vlad the Impaler. There is so much more to say, but this fierce and brutal novel is waiting for you. 

Don’t forget to check out my reviews on And I Darken and Now I Rise. But I must warn you, that I love these two books, just as much.