The second half of this book is absolutely everything I wanted this book to be! 
 "Souls and thrones are irreconcilable." 
 I can see that in the first half White was forming a solid foundation, we truly see the characters development over years and understand their very essence. 
 But man, some of it was boring. 
 So if you pick up this book, and I recommend that you do, be prepared to have the DNF impulse a few times early on. But your perseverance shall be rewarded! 
 "Some victories are merely defeat wearing the wrong clothing" 
 Radu is the typical underdog, his upbringing is toough and he had a lot to endure. He grows into his own a lot and learns, in his own way, to be strong. (Well, strongish. You'll see. You will still end up feeling sorry for the guy.) 
 Lada 
 is not quite what I expected from the blurb. While she is certainly vicious and surly, I was expecting more of an evil murderer. There was impaling, but I expected her to relish it, which she did not. Not that I am saying she should have, I just expected a more Manon like character. And yeah, I love Manon. 
 She is shrewd and knows what she wants, but underneath that she is still a little girl who only ever wanted her fathers approval and never quite got it simply because she was a girl - and she never got approval elsewhere because she did not fit the 'ideal' definition of a girl. 
 I enjoyed watching their relationship change as they were taken away from the poisonous aspects of their upbringing, but I am also glad that it did not do a complete 180. 
 This book, for me, also highlights how these characters feel as though they are alone and have to cope with everything by themselves, they don't reach out or try to help one another. Except for Mehmed who does lean on them. 
 I am all for making a hardy female character that can fully take care of herself, but I do get slightly annoyed when one of the other main characters is a male who is viewed as weak and unable to take care of themselves, as if the only way to make the woman seem strong is by giving her a weak figure to be compared to. 
 With that said, I do still think Radu is well defined and valuable as a character as he is. 
 The plot was very slow, and for the first 60% I was convinced that the whole plot and ploy for the throne was just a back drop setting up the accursed (and awkward) love triangle and I was not happy! Also, I am not a fan of Mehmed. 
 But from there the plot improves a lot, Lada starts taking some action and starts setting her destiny in motion by stepping up. 
 We had subterfuge, political intrigue and shifts of power. The last 30% I was engrossed in the story! And yes, the last bits certainly did explain the title. 
 "So the question becomes, Daughter of the Dragon, what will you sacrifice? What will you let be taken away so that you, too, can have power?" 
 If the sequel is anything like the last half, I cannot wait to get my hands on it.