Title: The Rose and The Dagger
Author: Renee Ahdieh
Series/Novel: The Wrath and The Dawn Series (#2)
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance
Pages: 406
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Year Published: 2016
First Line: "The girl was eleven and three quarters."
"In a land on the brink of war, Shahrzad has been torn from the love of her husband Khalid, the Caliph of Khorasan. She once believed him a monster, but his secrets revealed a man tormented by guilt and a powerful curse- one that might keep them apart forever. Reunited with her family, who have taken refuge with enemies of Khalid, and Tariq, her childhood sweetheart, she should be happy. But Tariq now commands forces set on destroying Khalid's empire. Shahrzad is almost a prisoner caught between loyalties to people she loves. But she refused to be a pawn and decides a plan.
While her father, Jahndar, continues to play with magical forces he doesn't yet understand, Shahrzad tries to uncover powers that may lie dormant within her. With the help of a tattered old carpet and tempestuous but sage young man, Shahrzad will attempt to break the curse and reunite with her one true love."
My Rating: 4/5
This second and final instalment in The Wrath and The Dawn duology follows many characters from the previous novel. Some we grew to know quite well in the first book and others at first a bit of a mystery. This second book wraps up the love of a boy-king, a calipha and a childhood love with a bow on top. Not to mention the diversity, use of fantasy aspects and approach to the story that were all in all incredible. I think that this book did pale a bit when compared to the first one, but this could be because of the busy time schedule I read it in as well. I found that it was hard to want to keep up with the book in the beginning as it started at a slow pace, but by the mid way point I was once again wrapped up in the different setting, interesting characters and fantastic use of plot. The twists and turns are surprising but exciting to endure and not over the top.
Overall this was a good way to end a series and I look forward to see what other books Renee Ahdieh brings to the table over time and where she'll take her career next.
Thanks for reading,
Love,
Sidny
As mentioned in the review, this book was read during a pretty busy period of life, please excuse the scatter brain thoughts below.
So this is one of the only books I think I've read that is a part of duology. Now if you're like me, you're sitting there wondering who came up with this fantastic system to help describe a series, and I have no answers for you. But what I can say, is that it definitely worked for the story of The Wrath and The Dawn series. The two books fit together perfectly and although I am a fan of the first book, and believe the second to have taken a slight slump, I see them completed as a whole. They are told beautifully from many perspectives and in a unique setting. The descriptions were complex and beautiful, introducing uncommon aspects and describing them to readers who are willing to imagine.
These books had a great set of characters, although I found the second book to be hard to follow with the bouncing between characters. This being said, it was exactly what held the book together.
The story all in all wraps up with a great epilogue about the future and give the readers the perfect amount of answers, in my opinion.
The Characters:
Shazi: So Shazi became quite the powerhouse. Although her quick wit and stubbornness are what helped me enjoy her character. She would give all for those she loves and her character proves this time and time again. This being said, I found that Shazi in this book was a little less of a kick ass person in the first half. Having to live in a camp with your husbands enemies can do that to a girl. I do enjoy the ending of this story and how smart she is about her time in the dungeon. She is a wise character and while her temper is something else, I think that she was written perfectly. And the use of power with all this. Lovely!
Tariq: I'm the worst for saying this but Tariq needed to let Shazi go so badly. He was clearly hurting himself and Shazi, by acting as though he could change how she felt. Although he is stubborn he is not stubborn enough to change the feelings of another. But at the end it sounds like he was able to find someone to occupy his time, so that's good.
Khalid: He changed the first time we saw him. Back to the weary character he was in the first half of the story, but as time progresses we see his love for Shazi grow. We also know that he would do anything for his people, and those close to him. I enjoyed seeing him go to work to rebuild the city. That was a side of him I had never seen and I was intrigued by how people reacted to him. Also that army strategy though. Way to kick so a**.
Despina: I may have closed my book when we are reintroduced to Despina as a different person. I was shocked and yet not so much that I was surprised. Although her acting skills are something else. She was able to find a way to save Shazi which I was excited to hear, but I'm curious about how she came to live in the castle with her not so husband husband.
Rahim: Hitting me right in the heart. What a great man, filled with honour and love for those around him. The loyalty though.
Irsa: I was glad that she was more of a part of this novel, because anyone with a sister knows that they are never far when you need them, but also when you don't. It was only a matter of time for her to appear. I enjoyed the description of how quiet and easy going she was and seeing the growth of her character being able to speak what she wanted.
Moments to Remember:
Final Line: "'Then we begin with the first tale... 'Haroun and the Magic Carpet.'"
Thanks for reading,
Love,
Sidny
It came to my attention after moving home, that there were three short stories. There are three in total that I found.
The Moth and The Flame, The Crown and the Arrow, The Mirror and the Maze.
These are all either prequels or in betweens for The Wrath and The Dawn by Renee Ahdieh. I must say that these were interesting short reads, but I don't believe they are necessary to read if you want to jump right into The Rose and The Dagger although I'm yet to start it. I enjoyed the brief snippets in between the stories, but I found them to be frustratingly short and not all that meaningful.
All and all I would give these book a solid 4/5. They are a fun short read if you have the time.
It looks deeper into the relationship between Jalal and Despina, as well as thoughts of Khalid.
I don't think a review is necessary but I hope that this was helpful.
Thanks for reading,
Sidny xoxo
Title: The Wrath and The Dawn
Author: Renee Ahdieh
Series/Novel: The Wrath and The Dawn (Book #1)
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance
Pages: 395
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons
Year Published: 2015
First Line: "It would not be a welcome dawn."
"One life to one dawn.
In a land ruled by a murderous boy-king, each dawn brings heartache to a new family. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, is a monster. Each night he takes a new bride only to have a silk cord wrapped around her throat come morning. When sixteen-year-old Shahrzad's dearest friend falls victim to Khalid, Shahrzad vows vengeance and volunteers to be his next bride. Shahrzad is determined not only to stay alive, but to end the caliphs reign of terror once and for all.
Night after night, Shahrzad beguiles Khalid weaving stories that enchant, ensuring her survival, though she knows each dawn could be her last. But something she never expected begins to happen: Khalid is nothing like what she'd imagined him to be. This monster is a boy with a tormented heart. Incredibly, Shahrzad finds herself falling in love. How is this possible? It's an unforgivable betrayal. Still, Shahrzad has come to understand all is not as it seems in this palace of marble and stone.She resolves to uncover whatever secrets lurk and, despite her love, be ready to take Khalid's life as retribution for the many lives he's stolen. Can their love survive this world of stories and secrets?
Inspired by A Thousand and One Nights, The Wrath and The Dawn is a sumptuous and enthralling read from beginning to end."
My Rating: 5/5
So I just finished this book before leaving the city and it's beautifully large library. This book was incredible and perfect. I understand now what all the buzz was about when it first came out and it's a perfect day to have finished it as the second instalment has just been published and is available. Don't worry I already called the book store and had one put on hold for me. This is such a diverse novel and the way it's inspired by A Thousand and One Nights makes it even more interesting to read. I found that the setting at first was hard to imagine but after it being described in such detail I found no trouble picturing the palace, desert and the city. It seemed to fill my imagination. Everything from the food, the sights and the clothing were interesting and different to me. This is something that can really pull a reader in, and I was certainly interested! The characters are surprising but not not to the point where their actions seem out of character. Rather they are unique and filled with depth. I could tell that the author had thought hard about how to portray each of the characters. The only thing I struggled with for the first few pages was the amount of names that started with the same letter, but after really getting into the book, it was no longer a problem. Rereading that last sentence, I sound like a child. I may be the only one who has the problem.
The book left off in such a great place and I plan to start the second one tonight, The Rose and The Dagger and complete it by the end of the week.
Thanks for reading,
Sidny
Let's start this off by saying that I had heard ALOT of hype about this book. It's been nominated for many awards and has gathered the attention of many readers/bloggers. The diverse story has really captured an interesting story and has alot of people pushing for more diverse stories, which is something I think we could all use.
This book really switched up the playing field of retellings and stories that are inspired by others. I really enjoyed the different setting of this first book. It was something I never really had read about before. The descriptions at first were confusing to me but throughout the book, I was able to really picture what was happening in the plot. Everything connected throughout the setting the descriptions of the city, desert, clothing and food really helped to connect the dots on an area of the world I'm not familiar with. It was exciting to explore different perspectives throughout the Khorasan's adventure.
The characters were deep and were not predictable, which I always appreciate. The perspective of the book was from an outside view which gave the book further depth as you could understand what each characters thought and how they felt thoughout the volume.
Characters:
Shahrzad: This character is a strong female, which is something to be appreciated. She willingly sacrificed her life to take revenge for her friend. Although we never meet Shiva, we know that she must have been special and her death effected many around her. As the story continues we see that Shazi, as she's commonly called start to fall for her once enemy. Seeing her struggle internally to push away her feelings is hard to watch. And as much as you hate Khalid for killing so many women, you want Shazi to show her true feelings. (At least I did). As the story goes on Khalid opens up to Shazi, but when Tariq appears to rescue her she is forced to make a choice about where to stay. After she has made a choice, her choice is revoked and she is forced to leave the city. I look forward to see how she reacts to being taken.
Khalid: At first, I hated this character, as is to be expected. Stringing people up by their throats isn't really an action that makes people fond of a character. As you find out more about him you begin to wonder what is plaguing him and how his childhood made him the man he was today. At first I assumed that the death of his mother left him unstable with a female, but as you read on the magic comes to life and you realize that he is really trying to be the Caliph that the people of Khorasan deserve. Even if it involves the death of many
Jalal: He's slick this one, but quickly takes Shazi's side, something to be appreciated. I do hope that he found Despina and took care of her. They should obviously be together! Duh.
Despina: A pain at first, a nuisance, but she grew on me quickly. Her quips and friendly manner remind me of those of my own friend. This being said, being a self proclaimed spy didn't make me trust her, which is obvious. I do hope she made it out of the fires because the heartbreak for Jalal may overcome him.
Tariq: He's clearly in love with Shazi, but the idea of stealing her away interested me. She clearly has grown at least a fascination with the Caliph. She stands by his side and sticks up for him as well as herself, and she has started to make contact without a hesitation. Tariq appears unable to let go and move on which is unfortunate, but makes for a great story! And a possible revolution.
Yasmine: This girl is trouble and I expect to be seeing more of her throughout the coming sequel. She is not afraid to use her wit to get what she wants and appears to want to do anything to get to the Caliph
Moments to remember:
Pg. 166-167
"'If I'm a plague, then you should keep your distance, unless you plan on being destroyed.' The weapons still in her grasp, she shoved against his chest.
'No.' His hands dropped to her waist. 'Destroy me.'
The bow and arrow clattered to the ground as he brought his mouth to hers."
Pg. 209
"'I am not a fool.'
'No you're not. Not yet.' Despina grinned. 'But it's inevitable. When you meet the one who makes you smile as you've never smiled before, cry as you've never cried before... there is nothing to do but fall.'"
Pg. 316
"'It's a fitting punishment for a monster. To want something so much to hold it in your arms and know beyond a doubt you will never deserve it.'"
Final Line: "Into a glorious dawn."
Thanks for reading,
Sidny
