The Wrath & The Dawn by Renée Ahdeih

My Rating: 5/5

Wait! Look at that beautiful cover! Amazing cover for an amazing book!!!!!

Synopsis:

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 caliph’s 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 a retribution for the many lives he’s stolen. Can their love survive this world of stories and secrets?

My Review:

I was craving a good book. Boring school books have been consuming far too much of my time and I simply needed a good book. I am VERY glad to say that this book satisfied my craving. I finished this book in one night (which was no easy task—it’s 336 pages), and I was depressed that I finished it so soon! I can’t wait to get the sequel.

This book allowed me to immerse myself into another culture. The characters are very clearly Arabian or of some nearby region, as the character’s names are occasionally a mouthful. These characters, however, were unique and beautiful, just as their names are. Shahrzad, Khalid, Jalal, Tariq… these names, their families, the setting—it all allows for the reader to be submersed in a culture that may be totally different form their own. There was not a single aspect of the Ahdieh’s world was not described in full detail. I especially loved the descriptions of the wardrobe and feasts! The hint of magic present added to the dynamic of the novel. I expect magic and curses to play a bit of a more prominent role in the sequel, as many occasions of magic were either introductory or explanatory.

It’s almost hard to discuss the plot without giving away too much—so for this one, just trust the back book cover and READ IT.

Let’s talk about Shazi (a really cute nickname for Shahrzad): she is a silver-tongued beauty. I wish I was able to come up with comebacks as quick as her, but I also wish I had her attention to detail. Although she often attributes this acuteness to Khalid, I believe she notices more than she gives herself credit for. Her personality in itself never bothered me, especially when she was with Khalid.

Shazi + Khalid= Literary MAGIC. Their conversations are quick-witted and playful, but are able to take a turn in an instant. I truly love all of these characters and I swear I will never ever ever be sick of reading scenes between Shazi and Khalid.

The book was very well paced. Although I wish the story didn’t switch POVs occasionally, I do understand that it helps develop the plot beyond what is happening in the palace. The POVs that were not Shazi’s were a tad boring, but at least they weren’t long. I did not find that the novel lagged at all. Perhaps the most interesting pieces of this novel were the “stories”. This book contains stories within the story (which is really not as confusing as it sounds). The culture of Khorasan is to tell stories, and I genuinely enjoyed reading these stories.

Overall, I wholeheartedly loved this novel. 100% recommend. I simply cannot wait until I read the sequel.