The Conqueror’s Trilogy

by 3 books in this series
#1 - And I Darken
#1 - And I Darken
No one expects a princess to be brutal. And Lada Dragwyla likes it that way.

Ever since she and her brother were abandoned by their father to be raised in the Ottoman sultan’s courts, Lada has known that ruthlessness is the key to survival. For the lineage that makes her and her brother special also makes them targets.

Lada hones her skills as a warrior as she nurtures plans to wreak revenge on the empire that holds her captive. Then she and Radu meet the sultan’s son, Mehmed, and everything changes. Now Mehmed unwittingly stands between Lada and Radu as they transform from siblings to rivals, and the ties of love and loyalty that bind them together are stretched to breaking point.

The first of an epic new trilogy starring the ultimate anti-princess who does not have a gentle heart. Lada knows how to wield a sword, and she'll stop at nothing to keep herself and her brother alive.
#2 - Now I Rise
#2 - Now I Rise
Empires will topple, thrones will be won . . . and souls will be lost. The mind-blowing sequel to AND I DARKEN, described by Buzzfeed as ‘A dark, gritty, and seriously badass epic’ is a sweeping Ottoman-inspired historical adventure. Starring the inimitable anti-princess Lada, the dagger-wielding drama of her story is perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Victoria Aveyard.

Lada Dracul has no allies and no throne. After failing to seize the crown she believes is hers, Lada is out to punish anyone who dares to cross her. Filled with a white-hot rage, she storms the countryside terrorizing the land. But brute force isn’t getting her what she wants. And thinking of Mehmed, the sultan she might have been in love with, brings little comfort to her thorny heart. She left him before he could leave her.

Lada needs her brother Radu’s subtlety and skill. But Mehmed has sent him to Constantinople as his reluctant spy. Radu longs for his sister’s fierce confidence but for the first time in his life, he rejects her unexpected plea for help. Torn between loyalties to faith, to the Ottomans, and to Mehmed, he knows he owes Lada nothing. If she dies, he could never forgive himself, but if he fails in Constantinople, will Mehmed ever forgive him?
#3 - Bright We Burn
#3 - Bright We Burn
In this thrilling finale, Lada realises that it is only by destroying everything that came before - including her relationships - that she can truly build the country she wants. A lonely Mehmed knows that if Lada continues in her defiance, only death will prosper, and with Radu’s return to the capital, the two must now stand together against the woman they both love, in a war against the girl prince.

Who will live? Who will die? And who will rule triumphant?

Sign up to the Penguin Newsletter

For the latest books, recommendations, author interviews and more