** spoiler alert ** 
 Spoilers for relationship events below: 
 This tore at my heart in ways I didn't expect. Easily a favourite read of the year for me, I can't believe more people don't talk about this book. 
 They way Radu pines unrequitedly over Mehmed while his sister could have Mehmed but refuses to give in! It's so painful and heartbreaking to watch unfold. It makes me feel guilty for wanting either one to have him, because the other will be left behind. Also I wanted to cry when Lada discovered Mehmed's second son, conceived when Mehmed was supposedly only in love with her... 
 If you have a preference for who Mehmed ends up with please let me know! 
 I wish Lada had developed in a way that embraced her femininity more. The end where she demanded to be named a prince drove home that fact that she was still resisting being a woman and was jealous of the power of men, EVEN THOUGH the story outlined how some women used their femininity to their advantage. I wish she had incorporated a bit of that to show some maturity.