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A review by malulu
Bright We Burn by Kiersten White
4.0
My impressions have been tainted by the rushed and mediocre ending. This book was a great addition after the events in the 2nd book with the focus mainly on Lada and her own psychological turmoils, but I keep thinking that the ending felt like an ill-fitting puzzle piece that was pushed in a place it didn't belong.
As said, this is the time when Lada shines. Back in Wallachia and on the throne, she fights for what she believes is right for her country. Her ways are controversial at worst and her state deteriorates the more people she loses, yet she always has clarity and a very specific goal each time. Mix in Radu and Mehmed who try to stop her, you have once again a triangle of power... or at least it seems that way at first, but Mehmed honestly doesn't feel at all necessary in this book that much, other than feeding Lada's motivation. It's interesting as Mehmed has been a constant in both the siblings' lives and he still is, but not as the most important part anymore. I would say this is more about the 2 siblings finally come to terms with each other.
Albet the story being interesting and having very 2 polarizing, yet equally understandable sides, this book had some... conveniences of sorts. Not that many to ruin the fun, but enough to doubt their decisions as their characters would have thought things through much better. And those conveniences led to some dramatic twists and it was obvious why they existed, which is kind of sad. Then of course, there was the ending. I am not sure how to put my finger on it, but all through the intensity of everything, everything just fell aways like a castle of cards. I appreciate the sentiment, but it all felt like a story went wrong.
Character-wise, I still like Radu most of all, but I think this book didn't explore their psych as much as the 2nd book. But it was nice to see how their lives led them to this time of their lives and they got what they pretty much paid for. Again, some conveniences here and there, but at least those were wishful thinking on our part and was more of a balm than a nagging sensation at the back of your head.
I really liked this trilogy and it's a fun way to pass the time. I wish the writing of the 3rd book was a bit better, it felt like everything went into the 2nd book and this fell short, but still, you can't hate them!
As said, this is the time when Lada shines. Back in Wallachia and on the throne, she fights for what she believes is right for her country. Her ways are controversial at worst and her state deteriorates the more people she loses, yet she always has clarity and a very specific goal each time. Mix in Radu and Mehmed who try to stop her, you have once again a triangle of power... or at least it seems that way at first, but Mehmed honestly doesn't feel at all necessary in this book that much, other than feeding Lada's motivation. It's interesting as Mehmed has been a constant in both the siblings' lives and he still is, but not as the most important part anymore. I would say this is more about the 2 siblings finally come to terms with each other.
Albet the story being interesting and having very 2 polarizing, yet equally understandable sides, this book had some... conveniences of sorts. Not that many to ruin the fun, but enough to doubt their decisions as their characters would have thought things through much better. And those conveniences led to some dramatic twists and it was obvious why they existed, which is kind of sad. Then of course, there was the ending. I am not sure how to put my finger on it, but all through the intensity of everything, everything just fell aways like a castle of cards. I appreciate the sentiment, but it all felt like a story went wrong.
Character-wise, I still like Radu most of all, but I think this book didn't explore their psych as much as the 2nd book. But it was nice to see how their lives led them to this time of their lives and they got what they pretty much paid for. Again, some conveniences here and there, but at least those were wishful thinking on our part and was more of a balm than a nagging sensation at the back of your head.
I really liked this trilogy and it's a fun way to pass the time. I wish the writing of the 3rd book was a bit better, it felt like everything went into the 2nd book and this fell short, but still, you can't hate them!