Content levels
Positive tags
Hero archetypes
Heroine archetypes
Protagonist archetypes
Tropes
Themes
Synopsis
**A sister filled with rage** Lada Dracul has no allies. No crown. All she has is what she's always had: herself. After failing to secure the Wallachian throne, Lada is out to punish anyone who dares cross her. She storms the countryside with her men, but brute force isn't getting Lada what she wants. And thinking of Mehmed, the defiant Ottoman sultan, brings little comfort to her thorny heart. There's no time to wonder whether he still thinks about her, even loves her. She left him before he could leave her. **Her brother caught in the crosshairs** Lada needs the support of her diplomatic younger brother, Radu. But Mehmed has sent him to Constantinople – and it's no diplomatic mission. Mehmed wants control of the city, and Radu has earned an unwanted place as a double-crossing spy behind enemy lines. And for the first time in his life, when Lada asks him for help, he refuses… leading his sister to make the darkest of choices. **The ultimate powerplay** Torn between loyalties to faith, to the Ottomans, and to Mehmed, Radu knows he owes Lada nothing. If she dies, he could never forgive himself – but if he fails in Constantinople, would Mehmed ever forgive him? As nations fall around them, the Dracul siblings must decide: what will they sacrifice to fulfill their destinies? Empires will topple, thrones will be won… and souls will be lost.
Is Now I Rise appropriate for my child?
Suitable for most readers 14 and up.
This second installment features sibling protagonists caught on opposite sides of a historical siege, with moderate battlefield violence, political intrigue, betrayal, and complex moral choices. Romance is minimal and fade-to-black.
What to know going in
This book has moderate violence, mild sexual content, and mild language. Content notes include death, violence, and war (see the full list above).
Who'll love this
Teens will be gripped by the intense sibling rivalry as Lada fights for her throne while Radu spies in Constantinople, forced to choose between family and loyalty.