I received this book thanks to Netgalley and the publisher in exchange of honest reivew 
 With this second book of the historical retelling and gender bender version of Vlad the Impaler, White proceed inside a dark path, for the joy of every bloodthirsty bookworms. 
 Premise: I liked this book but I will not be a part of the reviews that had given this book five full stars. I'm the one that will lower your expectation. 
 Read this as an ebook ARC, I was bumped and I started without holding me. Later I asked myself if that has been a fault. Did I read it to fast? I don't think so, since the book flew naturally page after page. My real problmes are Lada and Radu. 
 Now I Rise is a cruel book that doesn't hold bakc, even if White has been able to conceal a bit the most grugesome event without denying the horros of war, battle and blood. 
 I cannot mve any critique to the book's events. They're historical fact and everything collied perfectly even if they weren't. 
 My fragile point are the characters. I'm an emotional person and pieces by pieces all the bond that I constructed with the characters started to die. 
 Nazira, whom I liked a lot in And I Darken, started to get on my nerves with some of her affirmations and I hoped that my notable tendency to get affectionate towards secondary characters was going to strike again... but it didn't happen. 
 Radu has a moral downfall and Mehmed isn't better. I never liked neither cared about him since the first book, but this second one made me hated him and hated even more how Radu and the Sultan get tangled toghter into politics and war without managing to turn back. 
 Even if I felt Radu's moral struggle I cannot really feel sorry for you, no matter how much he can weep and wreck his own heart over his actions. 
 Rada always knew what was going to happen when he would made his final decision. I appreciate that he tried his best but still... I've issue. 
 Lada has been delusional to me. She comes like she the badass herself but the further I got inside the story, I started to notice how Lada improved her skills really poorly. Yes, she fight and she obtain what she wants - even if realistically talking she should be dead by long time - but she kills, Only. Everything she tries to made, allegiances, pacts, swearing loyalty to someone... nothing lives enough for Lada to start payling politics game. She has her sparks of humanity but for most of the time she unable to feel complete simpathy - I don't pretend empathy for her - even for Wallachina women. 
 Also this made me reconsier a lot her image of feminist. Many other readers consider her so, but Lada is feminist only for herself- hating at the same time her body as a woman - and most of the time she unable to understand other women. 
 In the end, I cannot say that I didn't appreciate the book. It was a good read, that hold me the pages nearly without pauses, and even if I had a difficult relationship with the characters, I can presume that it's a good sign: I still care about them. 
 Now I Rise has an ening that left me presume how White still hasn't unlashed the dark side of her story, so if you love this series you should brace yourself.