I have no words to adequately express how much I love And I Darken and Now I Rise. From the very first time I heard of the concept - a female Vlad Tepes, as secret childhood friends with Mehmet (or Memhed II)?! What a concept. I was worried that White wouldn't do this rich historical background justice, but I shouldn't have - if anything, I'm so glad that people are being introduced to it, if only through her book. 
 I have been within the walls of the Hagia Sophia and have explored the streets of Istanbul/Constantinople. I wish I'd read this book before that trip, because even though I've always appreciated the history of the city and region, this fictional account somehow makes it even more fascinating. 
 Also, Lada. Oh, Lada. I love that White is not shying away from the underlying brutality of her character's history (Vlad Tepes III, aka Dracula), whether it's the murders in cold blood, the betrayal of trusted allies, or the staking and hanging of people. No other female heroine in my memory has made quite the same impression on me - there are tons of YA heroines who are marketed as "villains" and leaders, but to compare those with Lada is to compare a wannabe edgy teen with Alexander the Great. Really, White has done a masterful job. I've found very few characters in YA literature who are so incredibly complex and unapologetically herself. I also loved that White also made it clear that Lada chose to become who she is at every step of the way, that she knew she was sacrificing morality for her ambitions and did it anyway.