The Wrath & the Dawn (The Wrath and the Dawn)

A re-telling of "The One Thousand and One Nights" (aka "The Arabian Nights") - LOVE the idea. I wish the execution were a little better.

Ahdieh does a good job of making us readers connect emotionally with the two main characters, Shahrzad and Khalid, which is enough to carry a good part of the story. But the power behind the story comes from two supporting characters - Shiva and Tariq - that we just don't get enough about to make the drama as powerful as it could be.

Shahrzad is fighting to avenge the death of Shiva, her best friend. Why do we never really read anything about Shiva, then? We know nothing of her personality, nothing of her friendship with Shazi. So when Shazi keeps reminding herself of Shiva's death as a motivator to go on, we don't feel the strong emotion with her.

Same with Tariq - who says he loves Shahrzad, and whom Shahrzad calls her "first love." He is on a mission to save her, and she in turn tries to save him, but because we only get a handful of glimpses into their past, we don't really feel the powerful connection between them.

This book had a lot of promise, and is still an interesting and engrossing read. But it could have been much more powerful if Ahdieh had given the reader more.

I read The Wrath and The Dawn after I read A Thousand Nights. Both books have made me want to read Arabian Nights, of which, I bought the Barnes and Nobles Classics Edition (it is a difficult read). I still feel that, like A Thousand Nights, this book just did not do any justice. I was just as disappointed. Everyone seemed to LOVE this book, and I struggled through it.

The positive to this book, is I liked the love story. I also liked the play out of the curse. I thought it did have the upper hand compared to A Thousand Nights but I still didn’t get why everyone has been so obsessed with it. I look forward to reading how the love story progresses.

I liked that it had some action, conflict, and violence on top of the underlying story. I do think the author was able to portray why it was such a big deal Shahrzad remained alive, and her fear of when her time would come. I also liked the attempt that were being made on her life. I think it was interesting she was fine with dying for her purpose, but I liked that when the time was coming, and the attempts were made, she started feeling a bit differently.

Overall, I liked the writing style of the author. I felt this book had a lot of promise, and feel maybe the author had to cut out some scenes so the book wasn’t super long. I wished there was more emphasis on the story telling aspect and include a few more stories than it did.

3-1/2 stars

Right from the start I was annoyed that the premise of this story was not solid. Shazi simply placed herself in a dangerous situation she had devised without a reasonable plan to carry out her goal. She was fortunate to use her guile, intelligence, and superiority to get out of the situation but her initial choice was so idiotic as to be unbelievable. To me, that unrealistic start really flawed the entire story. HOWEVER, when I was able to not think about the ridiculous premise of this story, and just accept the baseline as a given, I did really enjoy it.

Also, how did Shazi conveniently get some poison in her pocket when she and the caliph went to the market? That was never explained and is another poisoned arrow in my enjoyment of this story.

Despite these flaws, the novel had an intriguing setting, terrific characters, and great writing. Therefore, despite myself, I really enjoyed it! The official description states that this novel is based on 1001 Nights of which I have little familiarity. After reading about it, I do see that this novel was, indeed, strongly based on 1001 Nights. However, while reading it, I kept thinking it was like a retelling of The Beauty and the Beast.

I mostly listened to the audiobook but did some actual book reading at times too. I give the narrator a B. Not great. Not terrible. She had her moments but often spoke in a slow monotone and did not have a great range of character voices.

I’ll be reading the sequel to discover the ending to Shazi’s story and am very happy that there is only one sequel.

I had been anticipating this story for some months, but when I finally got my hands on it, it was bittersweet. Enjoyment, peppered with a plethora of different disappointments. I'm not here to take a dump on this series. The author can clearly write well, and it was, looking at it detachedly, (much like the characters in the story), a very good novel overall.

But several things bugged me. Said detached characters being one of them. Within the first couple chapters, pretty much immediately after their marriage, Khalid comes to Shazi's chamber and, well, she doesn't exactly put up a fight. In fact, the consummation, which is repeated several times (or so it was implied) did not affect her very much at all. For someone who has just abandoned her "first love," (one can only use this phrase SO MANY times, author) Shazi is unusually unfeeling.

A normal person would be at least emotionally scarred by having to share a bed with the man that killed your bff, correct? Am I just old fashioned? I found this bizarre. The act did not disturb her emotionally. If I believed Shazi was a sociopath hellbent on revenge (which truthfully would have been more interesting), then this "so what?" attitude would make sense. But Shazi got too hurt and pissy over stupid things for me to think her sociopathic. Just a bipolar mess, at some points.

Honestly, a lot about this novel was a stretch for me. Much of the dialogue was too flowery and excessive for my taste. The romance seemed to go off every cliche checklist in the book: 1) universal distrust, 2) Angsty "I want them but I shouldn't" crap (80% of plot) 3) Insert mysterious drama behind dude's suckish personality, 3) insert unecessary, insistent former love interest for chick, 4) Insert hot hoochie to make said chick jealous, 5) more Jealousy for everybody, 6) Sappy make up conversations, 8) Selfish decisions, 7) obstacle to keep star crossed lovers apart until next novel (very convenient)

I wanted to slap my own forehead, but resisted. The ending too was quite abrupt. I was like, 'what the freak. Apparently it's a series now.' (I was not aware of Book 2 until that point.) Books that force you to buy the next one to get closure annoy me. A pet peeve, of sorts.

I was kind of tired of reading in circles at that point, though. Enough to think to myself.. "You know, it sure would make sense right now for Shazi to sacrifice herself for the greater good and die..." When a story makes you hope it'll pull an Allegiant on you, you KNOW you need help.

I only wish the characters had more life, that the prose was more spontaneous, that the plot had a little more grittiness. I wasn't impressed by the reason behind the killing. I wasn't impressed by the love they had for each other. I didn't have a clear sense of who the antagonist(s) was supposed to be. I wish the author had made Khalid earn the readers love, trust, and forgiveness through the story. Instead, the prologue thrusts a "woe is he" reason to excuse his behavior, and then the rest of the book spends itself implying that "he's a monster, but it's totally not his fault, btw." I wished we had been left in the dark from the get go, so the "boy King" (who seemed an awful lot like a grown man) could be the villain everyone describes him to be. I was hardly intimidated.

I don't want this to discourage you from reading. These are just my pet peeves that may not apply to other people. Don't take it as gospel, in other words. This is just my opinion. It was well written and, clearly, I finished the thing, so it can't be that bad. Just try it out yourself and see if your feelings mirror mine.

This book has been getting phenomenal ratings all across the internet, so I was slightly disappointed that I did not enjoy this book as much as I thought I would.

One thing I must talk about is Renee's writing skills, she's amazing! The way in which she describes the world she created inside The Wrath & The Dawn is stunning. One small example is her description of a pomegranate. I must admit I have never eaten a pomegranate, but Renee inspired me to try one for the first time, her writing definitely awakens my olfactory memory. The taste & smells practically jump off of the page!

I really admired Shazi, the protagonist. Bravery practically emancipates from her pores. The story starts out with Shazi's best friend Shiva being murdered by Khalid, the king of Khorasan. He takes a new wife each day and murders them before dawn. Shazi decides to enact her revenge against Khalid by marrying him and murdering him to avenge Shiva. What Shazi did not expect was to see Khalid as something other than the murderous killer whom she thought he was.

I was enamored with the plot, I mean who wouldn't be with a premise as strong as the one in this book! The reason I did not give this book 5 stars was because I felt as if the story drug out too long. Without giving away too much I felt as if Shazi and Khalid's relationship was a bit forced in the beginning, however it all comes together beautifully in the end. The ending is absolutely amazing, it blew me away! I am anxiously awaiting the next book in this duology, The Rose & The Dagger!

Favorite Quote: “Her conviction wavered further. “I told you; don’t try to own me.”
“I don’t want to own you.”
She swiveled her neck to meet his gaze. “Then never speak of sending me away again. I am not yours to do with as you will.”
Khalid’s features smoothed knowingly. “How right you are. You are not mine.” He dropped his palm from the door. “I am yours.”

The summary already drew me in before I even read the first page. I crossed my fingers and prayed that this wasn’t going to be some sappy love story where the girl made all her decisions based on her hormones and be a whiney damsel in distress that didn’t find anything appealing about herself yet still gets the hot beefcake in the end. I was not disappointed,
(Reminder these are my personal opinions and I am in no way representing the author of the book, the publishing company or any franchises attached to the books I review.)
Reading Factors:
Originality- I found this story to be very original, I have not read any fairy tails like this before and found the whole killing wives thing and marrying a new one each night to be something fresh. Shahrzad herself seems to be a very intelligent and determined girl with a plan and is not afraid to take action, which I always love to see. Despite the fact that she falls for her devil in the end she still fought really hard to judge him for what he had done and not why he had done it. For a young adult novel I found this to be refreshing.
Readability- This is labeled for grade 7 and up and I think that is appropriate. There is some violence but its not overly bloody, there is sex but its down played to where the reader would need to be re-read the parts in order to understand it fully. Despite all of that it had a lot of action and was easy paced, I read quickly mainly because I had to know what happened next.
Topic- Since this is a love story it is obvious that the real essence is love but there is also over coming your judgments and choosing between what your head thinks is right and what your heart says is right. It’s a story we can all relate to and there is a lot to pick up form this story and I really love that.
Wow Factor- I was in awe of this story to be honest. Renee crafted a brave and wise character with Shahrzad and I was more often than not surprised by her drive and ability to perform under surprising circumstances. I felt a lot of different emotions while reading, anger over the choices the king made, passion for the love felt from several of the characters and the sadness over the thought that the storm couldn’t end without one or both of them dying (this isn’t a spoiler just my personal thought). There is a sequel to this which I am definitely getting because I need to know how the whole story ends.
Predictability- I found several aspects predictable, as the summary says “ she’s falling in love with the very boy who killed her dearest friend.” So its obvious they fall in love and she that there is a bigger picture but even if you can predict somethings in the story that doesn’t mean the book will be boring and Renee’s story was in no way boring.
Over all Score: 9-10
I would have given it a 10 because it made me ooooooooooooooo and awe and sigh with glee but I think the summary gave a bit too much away. It would have been better if Renee had mentioned the curse and Shahrzads hunger for revenge and let the reader fill in the blanks but oh well. I loved it anyway. Also whats with the title….right?

As a child, I loved "The Arabian Nights." Loved being transported into mystical, exotic and magical worlds.
I wasn't aware how much I missed those stories until I read "The Wrath and the Dawn" by Renee Ahdieh.
Just like a flying carpet, this book took me on a trip to a different world . A world so rich in beauty, culture and magic that I didn't want to return to everyday life.
And I surely didn't want to leave Shazi, Khalid, Jalal, Despina, Tariq and Rahim behind, as each character touched me in a different way, making me care about them deeply.

Even now when I close my eyes I can clearly picture the world Ahdieh created. I can feel the heat of the sand, smell the jasmine and sandalwood, taste the cardamon tea and feel the passion burning between Shazi and Khalid. Just as much as I can feel the hate and the love, the fear and the trust.

Ahdieh's story-telling is mesmerizing. The writing flows and captivates - rich with detail. It's full of poetry and beauty, allowing every action, every scene to play out like a movie in my mind.

I never wanted this book to end and barely managed to wait for the second book as I wasn't ready to part with the characters and needed to find out what would happen next.
Not knowing if Shazi and Khalid will find their happiness although they deserved it so much was driving me crazy.

Khalid is a tortured soul. Deemed a heartless monster by many after killing off one bride after another, he only appears cruel and cold on the surface. On second glance it's clear that it's only an armor to protect himself.
He radiates pain and longing - longing for love, friendship and for a normal life.
That's not exactly what he gets with Shazi. There to avenge the death of her best friend, Shazi is as prickly as a porcupine. She challenges not only Khalid's patience but that of everyone else around her. But it's her attitude that also catches Khalid's interest and resurrects his hunger for life.

Their dynamics are entrancing. The struggle between hate and attraction, fear and want, lust and disgust, understanding and judgement and above all love are at the forefront of their interactions. No matter the struggle, it does nothing to quench their need for each other - physical, but even more so emotional. Though they fight it, the love is stronger.
Unfortunately, fate and other people don't care much about their love. And so they are threatened, attacked and fought against.

Which leaves us with the question: Will their love prevail? Will they succeed against all odds with the help of their friends?

This book is magic. A beautiful, exotic dream.

5+ where-is-my-magic-carpet-and-where-is-my-Jalal stars.

I had heard nothing but rave reviews for this book, so I was eager to read it, but when I heard the series was going to be a duology, I decided to hold off and read both books together. I’m really glad I did because I actually wasn’t quite as enthralled with the first book as most people seemed to be (which isn’t to say that I didn’t like it – I just had a few issues, which I’ll talk about below), but I ADORED the second book. So, this series was a definite win for me!

What Fed My Addiction:

Persian backdrop.
I absolutely adored the setting of this book! The desert, the culture, the clothing, the weapons, the food … I loved it all. Even the parts of the Persian culture that weren’t lovable (like the way women were treated) added authenticity and interest to the story.

A tragic curse.
The aspect of the book that pulled me in the most was the curse, though. You knew right from the start that Khalid was not truly the monster he was portrayed to be – you knew there had to be a reason for his horrific actions, but what could it be? That mystery sustained me for most of the book! I loved Khalid from the very start (even if I didn’t quite understand the connection between him and Shahrzad at first) and his tragic story just made me adore him more. And it added such a dramatic sense of urgency to the story – the people around Khalid began to love Shahrzad, but everyone had their guard up around her. They didn’t want to love her because they knew what had to happen – Shahrzad had to die.

Shahrzad.
If you’re a fan of feisty protagonists, Shahrzad is perfect! She is headstrong and intelligent and willing to give her very life for the things she believes in! Of course, her blossoming feelings for Khalid cause her much consternation – after all, she came to the palace to kill her best friend’s murderer not to fall in love with him. I felt for Shahrzad throughout the entire book – felt her pain over losing her best friend, her ire at the man who took lives with seemingly no remorse, her confusion as she started to have feelings for that very same man, and her frustration at being kept in the dark. I could relate to her and I wanted to see her get a happy ending!

A touch of magic.
This story has a bit of magic in it, though it didn’t really play a large part in the story until the end. Still, it was a fun addition to the story!

What Left Me Wanting More:

Issues with the romance.
I have to admit that, as much as I wanted to love this book as much as everyone else seemed to, I had a hard time at first with the romance. I just never understood why Khalid fell instantly in love with Shahrzad or why he allowed her to live in the first place. There are a couple of slight explanations given (Khalid had supposedly had a dream the night before Shahrzad came to the palace that he believed meant something about her and Shahrzad’s stories reminded Khalid of those his mother used to tell him when he was a child), but I just wasn’t buying them. And I didn’t feel a true connection between the characters for quite some time because of it. It was also a bit disturbing to see these two start off their relationship with Shahrzad basically “allowing” Khalid to consummate the marriage (even though it definitely made sense in the context of the story). BUT I did like Shahrzad’s slow realization that Khalid was not who she thought he was. I was actually pretty happy with the relationship development from Shahrzad’s side of things – it was Khalid’s side that I just didn’t understand.

Tariq’s POV.
Sometimes I got just a little bit restless during Tariq’s portions of the book. I was fairly certain that he wasn’t going to end up with Shahrzad, so I definitely felt bad for him, but I didn’t care about him much beyond that. By the end, though, I could see more how his story tied in with the main story, so that made his POV much more interesting to me.

I enjoyed this book, but I didn’t love it quite as much as everyone else seemed to. Still, by the end, I was completely won over and I couldn’t wait to find out what happened in the second book! I give this book 3.5/5 stars.

There were a lot of aspects of The Wrath and the Dawn that drew my attention to this book. First of all, I was intrigued when I heard that the story is inspired by the Thousand and One Arabian Nights. Next is the fact that it was set in Middle East Asia, and I was quite curious to see how the author has dealt with the culture and customs. And then there was the rave reviews, which sang the praise of the writing and the ship. So when one day, I suddenly had a craving to read a book about kings and queens after watching an epic historic movie, and conveniently had a copy of this book in my shelf, I didn't hesitate to dive into The Wrath and the Dawn.

In the fictional land of Khorasan - which is based on Middle Eastern culture - the 18 year old king Khalid is hated by everyone. The king has a habit of marrying a girl every night, only to kill her the next morning. Our heroine, Shahrzad has revenge and murder plans in her mind when she volunteers to marry the caliph - which means king in Arab - and manages to escape from the execution with her storytelling. But as time passes, she gets to know the boy she wants to kill, and somehow, realizes that she's fallen in love with the king she's thought of as a monster all this time.

Before I start my review of this book, I want to make a small comparison between The Wrath and the Dawn and the tale of A Thousand and One Nights. In the original tale, a king, after finding out that his wife was unfaithful, develops a bitter and cynical view on women, and decides to punish all women in his land, by marrying and then killing them the next day. But one day, one of his brides, decides to tell him a story. She ends the night in a cliffhanger, which stops the king from killing her, so that she can continue the story the next day. Likewise, for a thousand and one nights, the woman kept telling stories, ending them in cliffhangers and starting stories within stories. All of these stories had unreliable narrators, complicated situations and morals, and made the king realize the complexity of human nature, and therefore that it's unfair to punish all women for one person's crime, so after his wife finishes the stories, he ends up making her his queen, and stopped his cruel practice.

As a child, I read this story in my own language. It was a less mature version of the original story, as they had pretty erotic concepts, but still I was quite fascinated by the entire collection of A Thousand and One Arabian Nights. It was probably one of my favourite reads ever as a young girl! So when I heard that this book is inspired by that tale, I was actually a bit wary. To be honest, I thought that this book is going to tell the exact same story in the name of a retelling. But rather, The Wrath and the Dawn only took the main concept of the good old tale, and Renee Ahdieh, has taken a totally fresh and unique spin using the world, concept and premise of the Arabian Nights and has given us a beautiful, amazing and mesmerizing rendition of the original tale.

One of the best things about the book is the writing style. It's wide knowledge that I am a sucker for vivid and beautiful writing, and Renee Ahdieh's is one of the best I've ever encountered. With her graphic and descriptive storytelling, she brings all the aspects of Middle Eastern Culture in front of our eyes. The way she describes places, food and clothes paints a perfect picture of the lifestyle and culture, whereas, she also excels in describing feelings and situations beautifully!

Next is the wonderful, incredible characters. I loved all of them! Shahrzad was a combination of everything I adore in a fantasy heroine. She was brave, loyal, confident, outspoken and most of all, was capable of making her own decisions without making excuses or blaming anyone. She was also snarky and never took "no" as an answer. She was basically a force to be reckoned with and an awesomesauce heroine!

Khalid, my poor baby! My heart broke for this boy, who had so much on his shoulders at such a young age, with really few people around him who actually understood his feelings and desires. He struck a chord in my heart from the first few chapters itself, and as the story progressed, my heart broke for this vulnerable, lonely and misunderstood king who yearns for love and understanding.

There were also a great batch of secondary characters! Jalal, Khalid's captain of the guard and his cousin, was such a sweet and smooth guy who was also a great friend to both the main characters! And Despina, Shazi's cool and incredible handmaiden. I loved this girl, and her sassy and quirky personality. And I am rooting for both of them as a couple as well, they're so adorable together!

The people Shazi left behind at home were a bit more complicated. There was Tariq - Shazi's childhood sweetheart, who was determined to bring her back, even after he realizes that she didn't want to come back. At first, I felt sorry for this guy, and actually liked him a lot, to be honest, especially his unique relationship with his pet falcon. But later, he started to annoy me, and his love for Shazi became more of an obsession rather than a true feeling. Shazi's father was weird, and not in a cool way either. I am a bit uncomfortable with this man, to tell the truth.

And we come to the best part. THE ROMANCE. * sighs * The love story of Khalid and Shazi gave me all the feels, and drowned me in said feels, while breaking my heart to pieces as I kept on shipping these two as if my life depended on it. Their romance is adorable, beautiful, passionate and god damn amazing! It was a gradual slow burn romance, with denial and failed-attempts-at-resistance from both parties, and it made me feel all the possible feels, so much so that, I was completely drained out of my energy and a was left as a bundle of emotions when I finished the book.

If you haven't read this book yet, I suggest that you go get a copy of it as soon as possible and read this beautiful and enthralling story! It's a must read that shouldn't be missed, but at the same time, be prepared to be drowned in feels! I had to nurse a broken heart, a major book hangover, and am dying to read the sequel, and get to know what's in store for my new favourite fictional couple.

For more reviews visit http://chasingfaerytales.blogspot.com/

*review may contain mild spoilers*

I enjoyed this book, but it did a horrible job keeping my attention for the first half. Maybe it was because I chose the audio-book as the medium to read this on. Regardless, the first half of this book was really hard for me in general, mostly because of Shahrzad.

This is actually a wonderful One Thousand and One Nights retelling. In case your memory is hazy, One Thousand and One Nights is a beautiful story about a man who takes a new bride each night, but they lose their life by the next day. One woman tells such a beautiful tale to this man that he keeps her alive the next day, then the next day, then the next day, and so on and so forth because he is so enthralled by her story. She lives for 1,001 nights, telling this tale, but he chooses not to kill her when it has ended, because by that point he is in love with her.

Well, The Wrath & the Dawn retelling is actually very similar. The twist this story has on One Thousand and One Nights is that Shahrzad, the girl telling the tale, is on a revenge mission because her best friend was taken and killed the following morning. But that sounds like a pretty cool twist, right? Right! That is, until Shahrzad starts falling in love with the man, Khalid, Caliph of Khorasan, two days after meeting him, for literally no reason other than him being good-looking.

“I will live to see tomorrow's sunset. Make no mistake. I swear. I will live to see as many sunsets as it takes. And I will kill you. With my bare hands.”

Like I said, only the first half was somewhat disappointing for me, because after that I started to see behind the scenes and see Khalid's worth. But Shahrzad went into this mission thirsty for blood, and it was too unbelievable for me to imagine she would jeopardize her mission because her best friend's killer is handsome with a nice smile.

That being said, after that first fifty-percent, I became complete Khalid trash, too. Be still, my heart. I seriously fell in love, and some of the things that came out of his mouth made me melt into a puddle on my bed. Yet, then I couldn't help but question why he was so interested in Shahrzad. Why was she so different than all the others? I understand she was telling him a story, and that reminded him of his mother, but he seemed to instantly fall in love with her before she even opened her mouth to begin her plan.

“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.”

Oh, but heads up, there is a love triangle. Well, for me, personally, there was never any competition on who I would pick, but I feel it's worth noting for people who hate that type of angst.

The imagery in this book was close to perfection. I've seen this said before, but the statement holds true: this book makes you feel like you can taste the food they are eating, hear the music they are listening to, completely picture the palace they are in, see the clothes they are wearing in great detail. Renee Ahdieh really does a phenomenal job doing this, and you will feel completely immersed in this world she created.

The final twenty-five perfect of this book was, also, perfection. I actually even cried, not just for Khalid, but for Shahrzad, too. Hell, I even cried for Jalal and Despina! Then my heart started breaking a little for Tariq! I was a blubbering mess, but it's totally because this story is told so magnificently that it was impossible for me not to feel everything imaginable that these characters were feeling.

I could also probably highlight this whole book, because it is that beautifully written. I had so many quotes highlighted by the time I was done with this book, and many of them I will keep with me forever.

“I love you, a thousand times over. And I will never apologize for it.”

The dusk jacket for this book is very beautiful. The actual book itself is a burgundy shade and it looks very nice. I love it just as much as I loved the book! Ok, so this book was inspired by A Thousand and One Nights. I haven't read the book so I feel that I really need to after finishing this one. I absolutely loved the entire story! I found this book to be mindblowing! As a reader, I was engaged through all of it. There was not one moment that I wanted to just stop and take a break what so ever. Where is the next book and can you just send it to me immediately!?

This book was filled with a giant secret and I felt like I was going to implode trying to figure out what it was. So the story starts and thats when it all begins (obviously right?), with a cryptic message:

"One hundred lives for one you took. One life to one dawn.

Should you fail but a single morn, I shall take from you your dreams. I

shall take from you your city.

And I shall take from you these lives, a thousandfold."

Creepy, right? I was like ok, so what exactly does this mean? So anyways, Shahrzad volunteers to marry Khalid even though she knows that every bride has been killed at sunrise. Shazi is a very intelligent and cunning girl. Her reasons behind her choice to volunteer are definitely noble but then her feelings for the boy-king start to change. Khalid killed her best friend and how is it ok for her to start falling in love with this boy when he took someone so important to her? Khalid goes to visit Shazi and she holds his attention by telling him a story. While she was telling the stories, I found myself eager to hear the story also. The way she makes it through the night is by ending the story in a way that there is still more to be told. So night after night passes and Shazi makes it to sunrise. I slowly started to really like Khalid and feel as though there had to be a reason behind these deaths. He was mysterious and as much as he sounds terrible, I didn't think he was. I felt myself swooning for the idea of them being together. She fights with herself because of the feelings she is developing, but she never lets these feelings excuse what he has done. This book is lovely, I definitely recommend it to young adult lovers. It is filled with romance and emotion. Half the time I was like NOOO!!! What just happened, my emotions can't take this.

(Generalized quasi-spoilers)
Why care about these characters (of which there are way too many) when they are completely empty husks? The author does a wonderful job world building, describing the scenes and with the writing in general. Why then would the author not give the characters the same consideration and care as the world building efforts. It is important for a story to care for and empathize with the characters you are reading about. At no time did I feel as though I could relate with them, nor did I understand why or how the story could have gone from revenge to love with no explanation (other than looks....really????) Since when is an abusive a-hole, who happens to be pretty, a good love interest. If there are other reasons she should fall in instant love with him we sure haven't been told about it. If he has loveable qualities, I sure don't know about them. If they have any like characteristics or anything in common we sure aren't told. Which to me, ruins the whole book.

Young Adult, Romance

Each dawn brings heartache to a new family in a land that is ruled by a murderous boy-king. Khalid is a monster and he is also the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan. Each night he takes a new bride and each morning a silk cord is wrapped around her throat. Sixteen-year-old Shahrzad vows vengeance and volunteers to be his next bride when her dearest friend falls victim to Khalid. Shahrzad is determined to stay alive but to also end the caliph’s reign of terror once and for all.

Shahrzad beguiles Khalid night after night, weaving stories that enchant and ensures her survival though she is very aware each dawn could be her last. Something she never saw or expected begins to happen: Khalid is nothing like what she’s imagined him to be. This particular monster is also a boy with a tormented heart. Shahrzad incredibly finds herself falling in love. It can’t be possible. It is an unforgivable betrayal. She is determined to uncover whatever secrets lurk in this palace of marble and stone and despite her love she is ready to take Khalid’s life as retribution for the many lives he has stolen. Is it possible for their love to survive this world of stories and secrets?

This is a great story that takes the reader on a wonderful ride. It has some great twists and turns. It will also have readers wanting to and reaching for the sequel to this book. While it is inspired by A Thousand and One Nights this one makes it a story that stands on its own very well. The characters are complex and engrossing and make for a very rich complex story that will have readers falling in love with it.

I was excited about this book as soon as I heard about it. Arabian Nights is a multi-volume classic that has some of the best stories in it, including Aladdin, Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, and Bluebeard. While this retelling doesn’t focus quite as much on the stories told, it’s still a strongly told love story with hints of magic and a wonderful cast of characters. This first book, The Wrath and the Dawn, focuses heavily on Shahrzad as she struggles to discover the secret behind the murder of so many young wives as she begins to realize there’s more to Khalid than meets the eye. The romance is really enchanting as Shahrzad and Khalid grow to know each other and learn about one another. As someone who isn’t usually to big on romances, I was impressed by how sucked in I got and how much I enjoyed both Shahrzad and Khalid’s growth and how they learned to trust.

The characters, both main and minor, are really well done. Shahrzad is a typical headstrong protagonist but she’s smart, bold, and a delight to read about as she outwits all the players of political intrigue. Khalid is dark and misunderstood, but has a lot more to his character than I originally expected. Khalid’s cousin, Jalal, is ridiculously fun with his wit, humor, and dedication to the kingdom and Shahrzad’s handmaiden, Despina, is also very well written. Other characters like Shahrzad’s father and Tariq also show great promise for the next book. The characters really help bring to life the rich and vivid world Ahdieh has created.

The writing is really well done in this novel. The world building is based on historical regions and the descriptions of the sandy deserts, hot suns, and delicious food make you feel as if you’re right there in this beautiful land and experiencing the same things as Shahrzad. Altogether, this book is a really strong debut and great for those who love romance, mystery, or creative retellings.

The Wrath and the Dawn, simply put, is amazing. I finished this book over the course of 24 hours. I didn't want to put it down! This story is about Khalid, the Caliph of Khorasan, who takes a new bride each night only to have her executed at sunrise. When Shahrzad's friend becomes the Caliph's victim, Shahrzad volunteers herself with a plan to outwit the evil ruler and exact revenge. Shahrzad is able to prolong her death by telling Khalid stories and promising only to reveal what happens next if he lets her live another day.

“My soul sees its equal in you.”

I loved Shahrzad and Khalid. Shahrzad is so bold and fearless that you cannot help but be proud of her. She is the only one willing to stand up to Khalid. Her sarcastic personality was truly a joy. Then we have Khalid who is this mysterious and seemingly cold caliph, but as the story goes on, he shows signs of being human. Khalid will make you swoon with his words. We find out the reasoning behind Khalid killing his brides and the motive is absolutely soul wrenching. While this book is primarily a romance, there are many other elements in the story that need mentioning. There's a hint of magic that I really hope the author will continue to harness. Then there's numerous attacks at Shahrzad's life to keep you on the edge of your seat. I loved the secondary characters as well, who have key roles in the story's development. Tariq is Shahrzad's childhood sweetheart. Jalal and Despina were wonderful friends to Shahrzad and made me laugh out loud. There were parts in this book that reminded me of fairy tales. It reminded me of Beauty and the Beast because Tariq and Shahrzad's father wanted to save Shahrzad from Khalid just like Gaston and Belle's father wanted to save Belle from the beast. But, in both cases, the lady did not want or need to be saved. The magic carpet in this story reminds me of Aladdin and I can't wait to see how it will be used more in the series. I encourage you to drop the book you're currently reading, forget the other books you have been wanting to read, and pick up The Wrath and the Dawn now. I encourage you to lose yourself in this mesmerizing story. I promise this book will be among your favorites. It definitely is among mine. If you are looking for a book that will have you hooked from to start to finish and even beyond that, The Wrath and the Dawn is for you. THE ENDING KILLED ME. I'm not sure I can wait til the next one comes out. I need it now. Renee Ahdieh, you honestly expect me to breathe in a world without air? Here's to passing the time til May with other books....

I love audio books and I'm so glad I listened to this one. I would suggest that, even if you've already read the book, you might still want to listen to the audio book. It was more than captivating. The world building itself is perfectly designed. Ahdieh, is a master of writing and you can read it or listen to it and be utterly amazed!

When Shahrzad decides to basically be the bravest person ever, she does so without haste and readily sacrifices everything, including her heart, in order to discover the truth. I loved Shahrzad's tenacity in all of her thinking. Relentless but careful, she goes toe to toe with Khalid and pushes a little bit at a time, just as much as she THINKS he can handle. But can she handle what truths she discovers? Ah, that is the question.

Khalid is king to be fearful of. He takes a bride every night and has killed her the next morning. A little greedy I thought. He gets what he wants when he wants. So, then why does he take head to Shahrzad and her tactics? I started off hating this man, and then loved him, and then hated him?? The perfectly constructed character for such a notorious role.

You will find yourself not being able to stop reading this or if you'll like me, stop listening to it. Seriously ya'll, in my car, at work, and in bed. I had to hear this story and I did in two days! I highly recommend it to anyone that craves adventure, foreign settings, and suspense in their YA novels!

I think that since there was so much hype around this book that once I read it I had built it up too much in my mind which is why I found it lacking. I was intrigued by the story and was curious to see how the retelling would take place. I was looking forward to an epic and heartfelt romance and amazing characters but I found that this book fell short a bit.

Shahrzad promised to be a feisty lead female out for revenge and I was disappointed when she didn't really do anything. I felt as though she kept talking about how angry she was and how she was planning on killing Khalid but she never seemed to take any real steps towards doing so, the whole thing was a little boring.

Khalid was a great character and I would have liked more from his point of view but we don't really get to know anything from him so his story fell a bit flat in places as well. Combined their interactions were few and instead of seeing a relationship and love grow were just told that it is happening and are left to accept it. It was only towards the end of the story that I felt they cared about each other and the writing became more touching, unfortunately the ending was unsatisfying as well.

The entire plot line with Tariq I didn't enjoy, mostly because I hate love triangles. Tariq as a character was fine but again he didn't do much and it might have been better to place him in a brotherly role instead as of a love interest. And the plot line with Shahrzad's father was straight up confusing to me.

I liked the side characters, such as Despina and Jalal, and probably would have liked to read more about them at times instead of Shahrzad and Khalid.

Overall there were lots of things about the book that I didn't like as much as I thought it would and I expected more out of it. I'm not sure if I'll pick up the sequel since I've heard not so great things. I do think it's a fun read and it only took me a couple of nights to finish it. There is a lot of potential to the story and the writing itself had beautiful descriptions and words but combined with everything else I just wasn't feeling it.

I think that this is officially my year of reading fantasies and Arabian Nights stories. I had E.K.Johnston’s A Thousand Nights, Alwyn Hamilton’s Rebel of the Sands and finally, I listened to TWATD all in the span of three months.
This was a good book; a good listen. Ariana Delawari is a talented narrator and she kept me hooked. I liked this a whole lot better than A Thousand Nights, where there was no action except until the end, and no explanation of the ‘magic’ involved (Small Gods, really?) and while The Wrath and The Dawn took things SO much deeper, it was almost the same storyline, but this one is scheduled to be dragged out three books.
So. What did BOTH of these books contain?
Magic? Check.
Arabian Nights Palatial Setting? Check.
Murdering/ Smouldering Prince? Check.
No concern for ACTUAL governing of kingdom? Check.
Apparent Badass Heroine? Check.
(Sharzahd was just really a sassy person, and sassy doesn’t mean brave, right?)
A reason for the murder of these girls, ultimately partially absolving the badass heroine’s love interest? Check.
A couple that NOBODY can fathom, even though EVERY READER saw it coming? Check.
SO. I READ TWO ALMOST SIMILAR BOOKS, AND WHAT DID I LEARN?
1. That I need to own The Wrath and The Dawn physically, because that cover is life, because I’m a BookDragon and I HAVE TO. I NEED IT AS MUCH AS I NEED AIR.

2. THAT STORIES CAN SAVE YOUR LIFE.

3. That somehow or the other, the childhood best friend almost always gets tossed aside (Hello Keira Cass and the Selection Series, Victoria Aveyard and the Red Queen Series etc etc)

4. That magic takes a toll on everything, and might lead to insanity. Of the readers and the characters, of course.

5. THAT I CANNOT RESIST BAD BOYS WITH GUILT COMPLEXES AND POWER AND LOYALTY COMING OUT OF EVERY PART OF THEM. KHALID. *FREAKS OUT AT MENTION*

6. That while I love books like this, I am CRAVING something that surprises me. I could pretty much predict every move in the book, and I NEED MORE.

Then again, I read so much that I can almost always predict book one, and so I’ve decided to wait until book two before judging the series. (See: Lunar Chronicles Series Reviews)

7. That I will be listening to book two on April 26th 2016, even if the apocalypse hits.
Now, I know I’m not telling you much about the book itself, but if I do, then what’s the point in you reading it? After all, who doesn’t hate spoilers?
I guess I would recommend it to you only 100000% if you haven’t already read a storyline similar to this, because if you have, then there’s nothing special about this book that the prologue doesn’t already give away.
3.5 Stars.

"Love- is a shade of what I feel."
That quote from the book pretty much sums up my feelings.

The Wrath and The Dawn had a way of burying deep within my bones... The writing was so good and the use of metaphors and words to tell such an intense, passionate tale was captivating to say the least. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I know I wasn't expecting to fall in love with so many characters. Each one played an intricate role and each one had their own back story.

Khalid is the King and each night he takes a new wife only to have her executed the following dawn. Shazi's cousin falls prey to this and that's when see decides to volunteer to be the next wife. She goes into the palace with a game plan- Destroy the King and get revenge. The only problem is that when she begins to lore Khalid in, she also lets her guard down. New feelings quickly arise to the surface... She tries to push them away, but the more she learns, the more she falls. Khalid isn't the only one that wants Shazi though... Tariq, her friend/romance from the past is also on a mission. A mission of protection and love. He doesn't expect to find what he does, but in the end he wants the King gone and Shazi for his own.

It was a tangle of romance, magic, and mystery. The romance seeped from the pages and the magic lingered in the background just waiting to be exposed. Shazi used her web of words to save her own life and Khalid opened his heart to stop his monster ways. Together they were a beautiful, vulnerable mess. It was such an aw inspiring tale about a tragic curse. It had life lessons hidden in the paragraphs and inspiration in the sentences.

I need more! Thank goodness the sequel releases in just a few weeks because after that ending I have a whole list of questions. What is this magic? Will Shazi and Khalid be reunited? How will Khalid protect his people? Like I said, so many questions... Surprisingly though, the book did feel complete. I was happy with how it all played out and now can't wait to see where the Author takes us next.

I highly recommend this book! My only tip would be to nickname Shahrzad, Shazi ,from the beginning. Let's be honest, we don't know how to pronounce these names and it can be quite frustrating trying to sound them out multiple times per page. It was hard for me in the beginning, but after the nickname was introduced it was smooth sailing. I became glued to the pages and couldn't wait for more.

I was very prepared not to love this book. I've been blessed with two best friends that share very similar taste in books with me so we tend to go off of each others likes and dislikes. When one friend read this and said it took her a while to get into it, it discouraged me because I can't stand books that don't draw me in immediately. That may be a very big downfall but I can't help it.

Okay, so I am happy to say that the prologue in itself captured my attention and interest. Renee Ahdieh created a world I've never been to with The Wrath & the Dawn. There are so many YA books and authors that, for some unknown reason, keep telling the same story over and over. I didn't feel that at all. This felt like an adventure. I was constantly falling more in love. Not only was the story beautiful, but the writing was amazing!

This story is pure magic. From the beginning I was truly entranced and I cannot wait until I get my hands on The Rose & the Dagger.

The only thing I didn't enjoy was, at times, the view of the other peoples lives. At the end of the book I was glad to have read those parts because it brought the entire story together, I just wanted more Khalid and Shazi. One other thing… I know this may seem so stupid but I feel like Shahrzad was too entitled at some points. Yeah, she's the queen but there were times where she said, "how dare he?" or, "Do you know who I am?" and I felt like… In a kingdom where the King has killed so many girls for what appeared to his people as no reason… Why would you act entitled when you yourself have said your life was forfeit?

I seriously recommend this book to any young adult book lover. There is so much this story has to offer I really believe anyone can love it.

Reviewed by Francesca and posted at Under The Covers Book Blog

I wanted to read something different and when I read a few of the reviews for this book I knew this was it. This is a young adult book but to me it felt a bit more mature. The story revolves around a romance so even though this is a fantasy as well, the romance element is the biggest thing in this particular book. And yet, it leaves me itching to know more about the world developments in the end.

Our hero, Khalid, takes a new bride every night and then has her executed at sunrise. Shahrzad volunteers to be his next bride after her best friend was chosen to be his bride and was executed. She now wants revenge from the evil ruler. How she plan on surviving? By telling him a story and withholding the ending of it if he lets her live. Their connection grows with each passing day, but also Shazi’s feelings. Because things aren’t always what they seem, and Khalid is keeping a secret she wants to uncover.

But I digress from the couple because I actually did like them both very much. I also really liked the side characters, though. There’s a loveable cast that fills up this story. The setting… I LOVED! It’s depicted beautifully and I’m a sucker for it. I do think the story was a bit slower paced than I would’ve liked and when we finally get to the meat of things closer to the end then it’s non-stop action at fast pace and then the book ends. And leaves you sort of hanging.

Overall, this story kept me interested in its characters and its outcome. There is a tiny bit of a love triangle that I’m sure we will explore more of in the next book. And the writing… well the writing truly kept me riveted to the pages. It’s just beautiful and transported me to this wonderful world with the pictures it painted. It made me want to uncover Khalid’s secrets just as much as Shazi. And it definitely whet my appetite for book 2.

It took me a month to finish this book. Not "a little reading every day" for a month, but I read about 30% of it in early April, and then set it aside because I just wasn’t feeling it. Although I know it’s YA, it was feeling a little too juvenile for me early on. But as it turns out, setting it aside for nearly a month made all the difference because I plowed through it once I picked it back up. Some books are just slow starters, and I think that was the case here. When I was finishing it last night, I was SO mad at myself for not having the sequel – "The Rose and the Dagger" – ready to go. That has since been remedied. :)

The basic storyline is the usual stuff, but the world-building and background are different from what I’ve read before. I’m trying to think of another book I’ve read that is set in a Middle Eastern background, and I can’t think of one. Which is a shame because it was a refreshing change.
The author said this is a retelling of "The Arabian Nights", which I’m not even remotely familiar with, but now feel the need to go and read for the purposes of comparison. Though my understanding is that "The Arabian Nights" are not really fairytales for children as much as folk tales, the retelling or reimagining of fairytales has become quite the thing as of late, and of the few I’ve read, The Wrath and the Dawn has been the most interesting. I absolutely loved Shahrzad and Khalid, and I always enjoy feisty female characters.
Very much looking forward to the arrival of "The Rose and the Dagger" so that I can find out what happens to Shahrzad and Khalid. And Jalal and Despina. And the kingdom. And…pretty much all of it.

For me, the positives and negatives of this story kind of balanced each other out:

- The first half was slightly boring, while the second half was enjoyably action-packed.

- Some of the writing felt contrived and sometimes corny, while the description of the places was beautiful and really gave a lot of atmosphere to the story.

- The main character Shazi was strong and brave, but incredibly weak-willed when it came to her revenge scheme (the whole point of the story).

- The love happened way too quickly and unrealistically, but it advanced the character development nicely.

- The setting was fun to read about, but the magical elements weren't explained as they should have been. (A magic carpet should not appear 1/3 of the way through the book and then never be explained or used. I want to know about the freaking magic carpet.)

Overall, I was kind of underwhelmed, but I'll probably read the sequel. Oh, and it ends on a mega cliffhanger.

Okay so I’m fangirling like crazy. Why didn’t I read this sooner?!

The Wrath and the Dawn is a romance inspired by A Thousand and One Nights. While I love a good romance as much as the next person, it’s usually not my all time favorite part of a book. But holy s***. This romance made me swoon and smile like an idiot. And that doesn’t happen very often.

Khalid, the Caliph of Khorasan, takes a new bride every night only to have her executed the following morning at sunrise. When Shahrzad's friend Shiva becomes one of the Caliph's victims, Shazi volunteers herself as his next bride with a plan to get her revenge for killing her best friend. Shazi gets an extra day to live by telling Khalid a story and promising only to tell him what happens next if he lets her see another sunrise.

The Wrath and the Dawn is filled with so many amazing characters, not only Shazi and Khalid, but all of the secondary characters as well. I loved Despina’s friendship with Shazi, Jalal brought some humor to the story, Yasmine was just plain interesting. Hell, I even liked Tariq (sometimes).

I loved being inside Shazi’s head. She was brave, compassionate, determined, and she speaks her mind and doesn't let anyone think for her. I loved her so much.

And Khalid. *sigh*

To be honest, I expected to hate Khalid. I mean he executes a bride every sunrise. Hello?? But as the story progressed I loved Khalid more and more, so that says a lot about Ahdieh’s ability to make her characters so realistic. He was a complex character and the glimpses you got throughout the story of who he really is was fascinating. His self-hatred and guilt broke my heart.

Shazi and Khalid are perfect for each other, their chemistry was fantastic, and the way they developed feeling for each other was set in such a realistic and believable way.

"I love you, a thousand times over. And I will never apologize for it."

And the writing was so gorgeous and eloquent. You can tell Ahideh did her research by all the vivid descriptions of the clothing, food, and setting.

This easily became one of my favorite books and if you're a fan of romances you should read this!

But that ending though.

The Wrath and the Dawn follows the story of Shahrzad, who, in order to avenge her friend's death, volunteers to marry a king who murders his wives every morning.

Hoping to delay her death, Shahrzad weaves a story for Khalid, the king, every night; unlike her predecessors, Shahrzad manages to live another day. And another. And another.

And yet, Shahrzad's emotions are in turmoil as she unravels the king's secrets to find herself falling for the monster she was meant to kill.

As he placed his palm against the side of her face, Shahrzad realized something horrifying.
She wanted to kiss him.
No.
It was one thing to return his kiss; she'd been prepared forthat. But it was another thing entire to want his kiss...

Renee Ahdieh weaves a poignant tale of the heart's betrayal in the perfect blend of fantasy and romance, as her main character engages in the endless battle between her heart and her mind.

Honestly, at first, I wasn't sure if I would enjoy The Wrath and the Dawn, simply because it was an adaptation. But I am so, so, glad I decided to read it, because it was amazingly beautiful.

Finally getting around to writing a review for this stunning book. I encountered it because the author and I were both keynote speakers at a literary festival in Chicago; curiosity had me picking up a copy, and soon I was up till 2am turning pages. Not only is Renee Ahdieh a helluva nice person, she can flat-out write.

Fairy-tale retellings are nothing new - Cinderella in Regency England, Rapunzel in space, The Ugly Duckling in 20th century high school. But mostly we see European fairy-tales being told, and really, it is about damn time someone delved the rich legacy of stories further east. "The Wrath and the Dawn" is a YA historical fantasy retelling of the 1001 Arabian Nights. All the familiar elements are here: a Caliph who murders a new bride every dawn and the resourceful storyteller who charms life out of him a night and a story at a time, but add a dash of magic, a dark curse, and an impending war, and the stakes grow infinitely higher.

Heroine Shahrzad is a delight: a tough, clever, bitter girl willing to use her wits, her body, and every other weapon in her arsenal to exact vengeance for the death of her cousin, who is the latest victim in the parade of brides to march into the Caliph's bedroom and out to an executioner's garrotte by dawn. Shahrzad volunteers to be next, hoping to exact revenge on the man she quite logically views as a monster . . . but as the nights pass and the stories flow, it becomes clear that more is going on than she ever anticipated. The Caliph is less a monster than a tormented boy stranded bleakly between a rock and a hard place; he has no desire to murder his brides, so why is he doing it?

Unraveling the mystery takes Shahrzad and her tortured husband on a rollercoaster chase through Khorasan, a fictional land recognizably Arabian in its vivid depiction. The jewels sparkle, the sand grits, the perfume intoxicates, the food is mouthwatering, and the end is a dark cliffhanger. I cannot wait for the sequel "The Rose and the Dagger," coming in April.

Originally posted on The Wishing Library at: http://wishinglibrary.blogspot.com/2015/08/review-wrath-and-dawn.html

I'm always the black sheep when it comes to over-hyped books. Instead of the epic romance raving reviews made me expect, I found a dry book with a sagging middle that I couldn't get past.

The Wrath and the Dawn tells of a world where one young maiden is married to the King every night and killed at dawn. Shahrzad - or Shazi - volunteers to be the next maiden after her best friend is murdered this way, possessing full intention to murder the King and break the cycle. She manages to prolong her life past the first night with wit and story telling, but when she finds herself falling for Khalid, the King himself, she begins to question if she is truly able to control her fate.

First, the things that I loved:

1. Beautiful world-building
A breeze gusted along the gossamer curtains lining the walls of the chamber. The sweet scent of citrus blossoms wafted through the carved wooden screens leading to the terrace, whispering of a freedom now beyond reach.
Her midnight tresses gleamed like polished obsidian, and her hazel eyes were edged in alternating strokes of black kohl and liquid gold.

Ahdieh's lovely writing transports you seamlessly into the exotic world inspired by A Thousand and One Nights. I yearned to hop on a plane and travel to see the sights, and you will too.

2. Humor
There are some unforgettable characters, and I particularly enjoyed watching the conversations between Shazi and Despina, her cheerfully insolent handmaiden.
"Can we please just go to the bathhouse?" Despina pleaded.[Shazi] "Of course. After the tournament.""Holy Hera. I'm going to die as your handmaiden."
When the book is not dead serious, it is poking fun through dialog like this one; a welcome respite from the darkness of the story.

Now on to the things I did not like:

1. Anti-climatic romance
I've read my fair share of romances, and this one did not make my heart flutter or my skin tingle. It did not make me gasp out loud or cry for mercy. The way they fell in love was... not very special. Considering the fact that Khalid had full intention to kill Shazi from the start, I'd expected something more dramatic. For a romance, this book was lacking in emotion. While the description of the environment and characters was magical, the description of their inner thoughts and feelings was not.

2. Where are the answers?
What drove me to read this book was my curiosity in finding out why Khalid was killing maidens every morning. When I got to the sagging middle and no answers were forthcoming, I ended up skimming to the back to find out. I needed clues - something! I know, I'm bad about that. Once I got my answers (it wasn't mind-blowing, either), I wasn't driven enough by the romance or characters to read on. So I didn't. Sorry.

3. Repetition
How many times can Khalid be called a monster? Too many. Too darn many.

4. Flat Protagonists
The characters did nothing to surprise or wow me, and there was hardly any character development, except for Khalid's struggles. Shazi was your normal YA bad-ass heroine who rebelled against her future love interest at every turn. Nothing to croon about.

5. Boring Plot
There wasn't really conflict until much later, and even then it didn't feel like Shazi was under any real threat. The omniscient POV switched back and forth from that of Shazi to that of Tariq (her childhood sweetheart), and I found the cliffhangers irritating. That, and how Shazi incessantly called Khalid a monster.

The Wrath and the Dawn started out so promisingly, but unfortunately failed to hold my interest. Nevertheless, please don't let my personal opinions mar yours of the book. This book has received so many raving reviews, and so must definitely be worth a try. I hope you'll like this book much more than I did.

Just when I thought I was growing out of the YA fantasy genre, I came across this story. I’m not a big fan of Aladdin and I’ve never read Arabian Nights, but I do know that this story is based off of those stories.

The story chronicles young Shahrzah, or Shazi, as she makes the ultimate sacrifice and marries the King Khalid for revenge. King Khalid is known for marrying a woman and then having her killed the following morning, his recent murdered wife, was Shazi’s best friend, hence her greed for revenge, that is until she survives the next morning, and the following morning and so on. What is it about Shazi that makes her different from the other wives? Why does the King have his wives killed? I would tell you, but I don’t want to give away any spoilers.

This is one book that was very hard for me to put down. I was desperately eager to find out why Shazi is the one girl to survive King Khalid’s wrath and why he kills his wives to begin with. There are some parts that tend to be a bit boring, the parts with Tariq especially. I think he’s an okay character, but I dreaded reading this parts. I get he wants to be the hero and save Shazi and take down Khalid, and I know he’s important to the story, but I just don’t care for him.

My focus was on Shazi and Khalid and their obviously predictable growing love and trust for each other. I saw it coming, I mean I see it coming in every YA novel I read, so why would this one be any different? I just love that it was unique and interesting, because the guy is a murderer! And he murderer her best friend and yet she falls for him, who wouldn’t love that plot?!

~ Reviewed by Lametria @ Lazy Book Lovers

This novel came to my attention on a Daily Deal - but having been burned by so many before, I checked it out from my library because it sounded like the genre I enjoy - magic, strong heroine, big bad things going on, but could have been just a teenage simplistic fantasy of no real interest to me. After all, how could the story of an 18 year old girl based upon Scheherazade of the Persian 1001 nights stories interest a 64 year old Jewish grandmother who has been reading fantasy for over 55 years? Well, a terrific story with interesting characters who grow into strong adults wrapped in a love story surrounded by familiar and new magic does it for me every time. This story, which concludes in the next book (don't miss the stories in between, one of which is now free), is enjoyable for every reader interested in great read, young and old!

Full Review Found Here: [...]

This book...I wish I could even begin to find the right words to describe it. First, if you are a fan of re-tellings and books that re-imagine classic stories then this is definitely the book to check out. The most beautiful aspect of this book was strength of the main character Shahrzad. To take on the task of killing a king after he has murdered every single woman that has harked his doorstep is truly enchanting. I'm clearly a big fan of strong female characters. It was not only her courage, but her determination to avenge a wrong that had been committed against her best friend that set the tone of the novel. It is also understandable that Ahdieh gave Shazi a softer side, a side that ended up falling for the very man that killed her best friend. The combination of her soft and more intense personas made Shazi more human and easier to relate to. Shazi illustrates that all is not what it seems on the outside. Sometimes one has to dig a little deeper to get the whole picture.

One of the most interesting aspects of this novel was the inclusion of magical elements. Magical elements that seemed to control both the fate of the Khalid and Shazi. However, I did hope for a stronger development of these magical elements; maybe an explanation of where they come from. I'm assuming that this information will be further developed in the future novels. It was almost as if certain characters were able to harness these special powers; however, readers were not privileged in knowing and understanding their purpose or origins.

Lastly one major concept that brings the novel together is it's reflection of the classic tale One Thousand and One Nights. Ahdieh does a beautiful job of incorporating the traditional Middle Eastern culture into the novel. It exposes readers to concepts and terms they typically would not be familiar with. The reader has a broader cultural experience which is not always guaranteed in young adult fiction. Along with the development of the characters and the various magical element, this part of the novel gives the overall story a beautiful and enriching experience rewarding to all readers.

Fractured fairytales are one of my favourite genres. I'm not sure if you consider The Arabian Nights a fairytale but I loved what Ahdieh did with the spark of the original to spin it into her own tale. This book falls into the category of not being able to put down. I loved it.

The characters in this novel, completely won me over. Even Khalid, who seems evil by his actions, won my heart almost immediately. Combine these fantastic characters with an intriguing mystery and I couldn't stop turning the pages.

Fast-paced and exciting, this is a must-read young adult novel that truly bring something unique and new to the table (even while it is entrenched in a ancient tale). Highly recommend!

I loved this book! I was very ify about it at first, I just saw it and took a shot. Well it just so happened to suck me in pretty quickly.

Khalid, oh boy I really really wanted to beat him. He's just a monster. Every day gets married and then kills the wife later that night. How bored and evil can you be? Who has that much time to get married everyday? And at some point, the people would have done something.

And that someone just happens to be Shahrzad. Her best friend ended up a wife and dead all on the same day. Shahrzad couldn't take it anymore, and its time someone taught Khalid a lesson. So she volunteers to be his wife. Everything is going just fine, as dinner arrives, she starts to tell him a story. A story which won't be finish right away, and because Khalid is curious, he lets her live. So Shahrzad goes walking around her new home. Meets some people, shoots a few arrows. Things are going well, and she makes a new friend.

After some time, she grows to know the truth about Khalid. He slowly starts to unfold, secrets are being revealed. And things take a turn that you didn't expect. But oh my it was so worth it! The book just forces you to sink in deeper until the very last word. One of the best YA books I've read this year! Can't wait for the next book!

I have never read A Thousand and One Nights but after reading this book I might actually read it. I have had this book on my kindle for awhile but I have not picked it up until now. I regret that but at the same time I don't. Because now I don't have that much time to wait until the next installment of the series. I have fallen in love with Khalid and Shazi and I'm not ashamed to admit it. Shahrzad's idea to tell Khalid stories every night so that she won't die with the rising of the dawn was a brilliant. But she eventually stops telling him stories once her life is guaranteed.

Shazi had volunteered to become Khalid's next wife as she wanted to avenge her best friend's death but she and the caliph start to fall in love and towards the end of the book she finds out why he has been killing all his wives. There is also a love triangle between Shazi, Tariq (her childhood friend and first love) and Khalid. Except Khalid doesn't find out that she was in love with Tariq until almost the end of the book. There is also a war starting and Tariq and Shazi's family are in the thick of it. I can't say anymore because I don't want to spoil anything.

I'm very glad that The Rose and the Dagger is being released soon as I need to find out what is going to happen. Until then I guess I will just devour the short stories that Ms. Ahdieh is releasing from this world.

Rating: 4½ stars out of 5

It took me a good while to get into The Wrath and the Dawn but I finally did and ended up enjoying it for the most part. I loved the world and the basics of the story and I even loved the romance, although I can admit it was lacking a bit in development. Shahrzad was the brave and beautiful, "I do what I want" type of fantasy heroine and I crushed hard on Khalid but I honestly don't even know why (and for real why is Tariq even in the story again?) Being this is a fantasy novel, I felt it lacked a bit in the magic area. I kept getting great glimpses of it, but it was never fully explored. Fingers crossed book two goes more in that direction. There were parts of The Wrath and the Dawn I loved and the plot intrigued me greatly, but sometimes the story moved really slow and the descriptions were a little boring. No matter the faults I had with this one, I have no doubt I'll continue the series.

Going into this book, I knew nothing about the A Thousand and One Nights and was reading it because the final book was out and I didn't have to make myself wait for anything.

The Wrath & The Dawn follows Shahrzad, a sixteen year old girl who volunteers to be the Caliph's new wife for the sole purpose of enacting her revenge on him for killing her dear best friend.

To stave off her execution, she charms Khalid, the Caliph, with stories. All with the purpose of finding a weakness, she finds herself falling in love with the mysterious and powerful boy-king.

I enjoyed The Wrath & The Dawn very much. It's wonderfully written and captivating. The prose is pretty, but not so much that it's hard to read or feels like your juggling marbles in your mouth.

What I liked the most was the characters and how fleshed-out they were. Shahrzad immediately caught my attention, as did Khalid.

I was surprised by how Shahrzad began falling in love with the very person who caused her best friend and countless other girls' deaths. How is that possible? So, it was interesting to see how Shahrzad handled that.

However, the revenge scheme is short lived and in it's place is a sprawling love story of two individuals who are strong on their own and just as strong together. I feel kind of jipped from reading about revenge, but at the same time I appreciate the love story that was introduced to me.

Going back to A Thousand and One Nights, apparently The Wrath & The Dawn is inspired by the story and not necessarily a retelling, which I found to be very true after researching A Thousand and One Nights. So, you might see it being sold off as a retelling - it's not.

Ahdieh takes Shahrzad and her stories and weaves it into a love story against all odds.

That being said, I wish there was more stories. That's what Shahrzad is most known for and I think Ahdieh didn't emphasize that enough.

So, although I wish there was more revenge and spite, I did enjoy The Wrath & The Dawn enough to read the sequel and finale to the duology, The Rose & The Dagger

4.5 stars Oh my, my, my, I am breathless ! What a glorious twist of One Thousand and One Nights. The vivid detailing in this story was so richly done I think I gained 5 pounds on description of foods alone. The clothing, the town, the palace, the horses, the landscape, each given such beauty in this author's words. I found myself rereading sections aloud just to hear them spoken, I have to get this on audio. The story is a tangle of what is believed, what is assumed and the truth somewhere in the middle. Hate, fear, resentment, revenge, friendship, respect, love and sacrifice. I loved it all. Now I must go order book 2 beacuse of a cliffhanger ending, beware. :D

Originally posted at [...]

It must take some daring, writing a novel inspired by One Thousand and One Nights, which has seen so many versions and interpretations that it seems impossible to write something fresh and different based on it.

(One of my favourites is Sharaz-De, the visually sumptuous graphic novel version by Italian Sergio Toppi).

But somehow Renee Ahdieh has done it. She’s written a story that is more than just the One Thousand and One Nights of stories, it is a story about a brave and strong young woman, who is fearless and also vulnerable, and a conflicted king with the reputation of a monster, one who marries and murders each new wife before dawn. It is an adventure with sword fighting and archery and a hint of dark magic.

“We women are a sad lot, aren’t we?”
“What do you mean?”
“Strong enough to take on the world with our bare hands, yet we permit ridiculous boys to make fools of us.”

Part of me was a bit hesitant when I went into this book. But then I got sucked into it, and this reader-of-several-books-at-a-time sank and submerged into this one book and only came up for air when I was done. It just propelled me along, wanting to know the reason for the caliph’s evil deeds, whether Shazi would seek revenge for her best friend’s death, and what was going on with her father??

Ahdieh is adept at making the reader reconsider the characters in the story, that the ‘good guys’ might not necessarily be the heroes, that there may be something else behind the ‘bad guys’.

As she said in an interview with Hypable:

“There are no heroes or villains,” she told us, “There are only people who want different things.”

** spoiler alert ** As a huge fan of the original One Thousand and One Nights, I was delighted to jump into the world of this story. I starting reading it late at night, and then spent the whole next day finishing it. It is an imaginative retelling, and the characters are lush and I identified most with the tortured Khalid. He was excellently rendered. I struggled with Shahrzad (and not just with the desire to call her Sheherazade); her motivations made me dislike her, and it's one thing to be bold and another thing entirely to be a mannerless child. I applaud the author for attempting a different spin, I just had trouble suspending my disbelief.

I was also rather disappointed by the dearth of tales told; it seemed like she hooked him with suspense on just the first night, and everything after was incidental. That is unfortunate. I used to love the concept that Sheherazade repeatedly kept herself alive through her wits and storytelling skills, giving her agency. In this rendition, it was more about her quirky (and rude) disposition. I expected people to be a lot more shocked by her, and for her to have more consequences for her 'devil may care' attitude.

I also struggled with some modern and European spins on dialogue ('brat' and 'idiot' etc.), setting, and the interactions between men and women, and people of different stations (which were heavily influenced by old Middle Eastern culture in the original tales). It was jarring and it prevented complete immersion at times. The setting and characters struck too true to the original source material for me to think of it as something completely different, so I expected more adherence to the original cultural norms.

Really glad to find that this has a sequel, because...All of the actors just stepped off the stage right in the middle of the major climax. I'm attached to Khalid (and Shahrzad, if she can manage to act less like a mannerless child) and want to see them in their happy forever after. Interested to see where the magic (jinn? sorcerer?) angle goes, too. Four stars because if it was really terrible I would not have sat down and read it so relentlessly.

If I had to use one word, I'd say it was entertaining. Not super great, but I finished it. I'm not compelled to read the next one, which sucks, but it is what it is. I'll start with what I liked, which is DIVERSITY. We see a lot of main characters as white teenagers, and I liked that we got a change in race since it is so rare, although I can see it becoming more common. I also liked that the main female character wasn't completely submissive, which is also seen a lot in these YA books. Also, the writing was incredibly descriptive and beautiful. What I unfortunately didn't like was the story itself. I feel like many YA books are kind of the same thing nowadays. I don't know. While the concept was original, somehow it felt familiar to me, which is my main problem with YA in general. But overall, I liked it. I didn't have any major problems and I think it's worth reading.

When I started this book, I actually went into it a little blind. Having foregone my typical pre-reading ritual, I did not read, seek out or otherwise know anything on what the book was based or regarding and I think it worked out in favor for the book. For instance, after reading this book I realized that it was inspired by "A Thousand and One Nights" or "Arabian Nights" (as some might know it) and that’s not a title that I am familiar with. Had I known this beforehand, I’m fairly certain that I would have gotten a copy and read it prior to reading this one, which in turn would have ended up giving me a base comparison on which to judge and that normally doesn’t end well for the “inspired by” or “retold” books. So, not having any prior information or prior knowledge of the original before reading, I found myself really loving this book.

“One hundred lives for the one you took. One life to one dawn. Should you fail but a single morn, I shall take from you your dreams. I shall take from you your city. And I shall take from you these lives, a thousandfold.”

A curse born of hate and a nation in dissent and unrest, "The Wrath and the Dawn" is a novel charged with mystery, heart break, cunning and death. With ruthless leaders plotting and grief stricken families hell-bent on revenge, the world is falling into chaos and in the midst of it all, we find just one boy and one girl with an unbidden love so fierce, that it threatens to destroy them and everyone around them. Once I started reading this book, I could not put it down.

“This boy-king, this murderer…she would not permit him to destroy another family. To rob another girl of her best friend-of a lifetime filled with memories that had been and never would be.”

Despite the wonderful storytelling and writing within the book, it was the actual character’s themselves that held me captive and kept me their very willing prisoner till the end. And speaking of the end, something else that should be of note, something else I failed to find out until the end of this book due to my lack of research beforehand, is that this book is a saga…sooooo….it ends in a somewhat cliffhanger. I’m pretty sure that my neighbors heard my scream of “NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” across the way when I came to this point and if they are book nerds as well, I’m sure they recognized that wail for what it was, if not, then that could account for the weird looks I was receiving this morning. Regardless, don’t start this if you are one that likes your books closed up nice and tidy by the end, because by the end of this book – that is when things are really getting started.

“A mere trinket? Love is a force unto itself, sayyidi. For love, people consider the unthinkable…and often achieve the impossible. I would not sneer at its power.”

"The Wrath and the Dawn" is a beautifully written story with a myriad of loveable and not so loveable characters that are certain to entertain you. Set in a time and place that I myself am unfamiliar with, a few of the terms and items in the book flew right over my head and had me going, “Errr…the what?” However, Ms. Ahdieh has graciously provided a glossary in the back pages of the book for the readers like me and it is a great reference for those moments you find yourself thinking the same as I. I didn’t know it was there until I reached the end and had I known, it would have saved me a lot of time I spent “googling” things, so you’re welcome!

“Lost forever. In this kiss. This kiss that would change everything”

Overall, yes, yes, yes. I absolutely recommend this to everyone. I think it has a little something to offer readers of all types and though it is mostly considered a YA Fantasy read and both the main characters are between the ages of 16-17, the story and writing are so compelling, that even those factors become background noise to the story itself.

I'm lukewarm on this, vacillating between a two and three star rating the more I think about it. There are some great elements in this book, including rich descriptions and a wonderful ambiance, due largely to the classical beauty that is the source material. But as other reviewers pointed out, there are so many characters and so many of them behave so similarly. I just didn't feel particularly passionate about any of them. I didn't dislike them...I just kind of accepted them as they were because they all did very little.

What really brought this book down for me is that sometimes, the writing went wayyyy too far. This is easily one of the most overwritten YA books that I have ever read, and I kind of found myself wading through a lot of prose to really get at what the heart of what Ahdieh was trying to say.

It's difficult for me to review this book critically because I wanted to enjoy it. It's commendable to take on subject matter that is so far off the beaten path of YA. However, it just missed the mark for me. I slogged through this (quite) lengthy book, and came out on the other end sort of lukewarm. I think Ahdieh will produce a better book in the future because she is obviously a talented writer. I just found this to be SO MUCH all at once.

I think this is one of those books that will totally come down to personal preference. It just didn't click for me, but I don't find all of the really favorable reviews strange.

The best thing about this novel is the strong protagonist, Shahrzad. She volunteered to marry the king who murders all his brides at dawn. But, she has a plan… find his weakness and kill him. She never fails to be resolute in her plan, even when she realizes she's falling in love with him.

I absolutely loved the exotic setting and beautiful descriptions of the palace. The detail is enchanting and I just wanted to know more about everything. It’s also emotionally charged. Not just with the romance between Shahrzad and Khalid, but with her family and the stories she tells. I just fell in love with all the aspects of this book. I also enjoyed how the romance was handled. It didn’t start too over the top and it was slow building, which is more realistic.

The only negative was the way magic was introduced. It was just thrown into the book with any explanation. It does sound like the sequel, The Rose and The Dagger, deals with more about the magic. Maybe it was just in the first as a teaser.

Here's the things I don't like about this book:
1) I stupidly decided to just buy the first one in the duology and not the sequel, too, which now means I can't keep reading straight away and I think I might go insane with the wait.
2) It's only a duology.

I loved this book. I seem to be going through a bit of a phase of Arabian Nights re-tellings and while I loved the other one I read, they take very different approaches and I think I loved this one that bit more. The whole story is so beautifully descriptive that you feel as though you can picture the story playing out before you. The writing is incredible and the characters feel well-rounded and dynamic. Currently Googling how fast I can get myself a copy of the sequel...!

CONTAINS SPOILERS. I thoroughly enjoyed the first 350 pages of this book. Only in the last few did it disappoint And it disappointed in a huge way. Throughout the story I enjoyed the interplay between Shahrzad and the Caliph Khalid. Her first task was to stay alive since the Caliph had killed each of his prior brides after one day of marriage. She did that with her quick wit and her stories. And she stayed alive and developed feelings for Khalid through her curiosity, strength, boldness, and independent spirit.

Then in the last few pages, everything in the story changed. She was ripped from the palace and taken out like a package. It was a completely unsatisfying ending. I've now learned that there's a second book in the series. So the author was setting us up for story number two. But this ending was way too abrupt. I wanted an ending that showed us Shahrzad continuing to be a person who acted on life, not just someone whom things happened to. The book lost me right there.

This is a novel that is loosely based on the 1,001 Nights (sometimes called The Arabian Nights). In that book, a cruel king in a Middle Eastern land kills off his brides the morning after the wedding, but a heroine manages to keep her head by regaling him with folk tales. Night after night, she entrances him with stories of love and jealousy, revenge and justice, and eventually the king decides he loves her, spares her life, and the book ends. This spin-off does, in fact, start with the premise of a murdering potentate but moves quickly into a YA novel with a 16-year-old heroine and an 18-year-old Boy King. I hated that he was constantly referred to as the Boy King, and since he was enigmatic through most of the book, while the intrepid heroine was front and center, it sometimes reminded me of The Hunger Games. The prose is often lush, and just as often overwritten. It ends on a major cliffhanger, but I'm not sure I want to follow the story further. One good thing about it: it gives a completely believable reason for the constant beheadings of the Boy King's wives. One bad thing about it: there's no way I could buy into a teenage girl voluntarily marrying such a monster and thinking she'd get revenge and come out of it alive.

I keep thinking about this book, and I've realized.. I don't think that I like it that much.

<img src="http://i.giphy.com/B5u2gfffcW8zm.gif">

But there are some major issues in this book.

<b>Things I liked</b>
The main character when she DID Have backbone 1/3 of the time

<b>Things I didn't like </b>
The main character who didn't have any backbone 2/3 of the time
The fact she just <spoiler>up and freaking falls in love with him SO QUICKLY. </spoiler> He killed her best friend and TONS of others but you know, it's okay he's just FREAKING MISUDNERSTOOD.

He killed your best friend and you just THINK he's MISUNDERSTOOD.
Even the Darth Vador is confused...

<img src="http://i.giphy.com/njYcAIXtk4ryo.gif">

But... he did it for a good reason... I swear.

<img src="http://i.giphy.com/Pppit91qEKEbC.gif">

If you go back to the original reason WHY he does it, he still comes out looking like a selfish jerk!

I can't get over the fact that she was supposed to avenge her best friend, and then just abandoned the bitch!

On behalf of her best friend.

<img src="http://i.giphy.com/3o7TKOeWoDEM6YSc6c.gif">

Below is my cheat guide for when I want to remember what exactly happens in this book, it is a HUGE SPOILER.
<spoiler></spoiler>

Original Review Link:[...]

You all know by now what my biggest pet peeve is, right? When characters don’t communicate with one another and cause unnecessary drama! This book was chock-full of it!

Shazi bravely volunteers to wed Khalid, the caliph and ruler of Rey. Bravely because none of his wives ever survive the dawn after their wedding. Seeking revenge for the best friend that was taken from her, Shazi decides she will murder this monster king before any other girl can be killed. Each day that she is not sentenced to death however, she learns that there is more to this so called monster than she originally thought. Everything he’s done has been for a reason; one she is determined to discover no matter the consequence.

Ugh!

Sorry had to get that out of the way. Half of the problems in this book would have been solved if people just communicated with each other and stopped acting like immature fools. That seriously drives me up a wall!

The story is a retelling of “A Thousand and One Nights“. It changes POV’s every so often which I feel was part of what didn’t work for me. I was most interested in the Shazi and Khalid’s storyline and every time the POV deviated from that, especially to focus on annoying characters, it made me want to stop reading out of frustration. Shavi was such a great character. I loved her strength, resourcefulness, and sarcastic-ness that she shows throughout the story. She’s a great match to Khalid’s brooding countenance and really lets him step up and realize what it means to be King. Jalal and Despina were fantastic secondary characters and I can’t wait to see how their story develops!

Tariq. Omg. He was just annoying!

I think what irritated me the most about him was his immaturity in all things. Half the time he reminded me of a toddler who had his favorite toy taken away.

I’m torn over this book because I LOVED the story between Khalid and Shazi but the changing POV’s and lack of communication just made me want to pull my hair out at times. The ending was a bit predictable and I’m just not sure I want to read the sequel because I have an inkling of where it’s heading and if there are more of the same problems that were in this one, I’m not sure I can get through it. I might wait and see what some of my fellow bloggers say about it before I decide. :-/

There were some great moments in the story but unfortunately they were only during the Khalid and Shazi scenes. If you can get through the other scenes without throwing the book across the room, then go for it because Khalid and Shazi’s love story was so great to see evolve!

I can't believe it's taken me his long to read this book...

It's a retelling of A Thousand and One Nights. In The Wrath and the Dawn eighteen-year-old Khalid is the Caliph of Khorasan takes a new bride every day, one that ends up murdered the following dawn. After her best friend marries the Caliph and then is murdered the following dawn, our young heroine Shahrzad volunteers to marry him. Her plan is revenge, for all the girls, but most importantly he friend. On the first night she tells him a story and he's intrigued enough to keep her alive another day to hear the end.

Then the story begins, and Shahrzad begins to see her new husband might not be the monster she believes him to be.

I really enjoyed The Wrath and the Dawn. Shahrzad Is a great heroine who I loved to read about, and Khalid was an intriguing character as well. It's not easy to write a likable character who kills his new wife every day but Ahdieh does it well.

THE WRATH AND THE DAWN is a book I was really excited to read. A young adult book inspired by A Thousand and One Nights? A young adult book set in the Middle East? Check and check. I couldn’t wait to read this one.

But THE WRATH AND THE DAWN left me disappointed. There are some good things in this book, but the majority of it had me wondering why I kept turning the pages. Midway through, I checked the average rating, which is currently 4 stars on the store and Goodreads. Oh well, I’m in the minority on not liking THE WRATH AND THE DAWN.

What I did like:
--The setting. THE WRATH AND THE DAWN is set in historical Khorasan. The author includes lots of details on clothing styles, food, flowers, and buildings, to help the reader imagine a place that might be foreign. But at the same time, I would have liked more worldbuilding, so I had a better idea of the time period and the country itself. For example, the main character’s handmaiden is Greek… how? There’s an element of magic… how?

--Shahrzad. She’s a strong main character, a girl who volunteers to be the Caliph’s bride in the hopes of avenging her best friend’s murder. Shahrzad puts herself into danger with a somewhat flimsy plan, but also ensured the safety of her family before marrying Khalid. I liked how she was observant and not afraid to speak up for herself.

What I didn’t like:
--The writing. In some ways, THE WRATH AND THE DAWN felt incredibly overwritten to me, yet lacking in certain details or emotional connection. The author describes Shahrzad’s intricate outfits every day, but when Shahrzad and Khalid have sex the first night they’re married? The encounter is described in a sentence, and never do we find out what Shahrzad thinks of it. Surely there would be *some* emotional impact on having sex with someone she considers a monster? That incident isn’t a huge thing, but it’s indicative of how I felt emotionally about this book. I just didn’t connect with it.

Perhaps the author’s style just isn’t for me. There are quite a few odd turns of phrase and metaphors, and I often had to stop and think about what she was trying to say. Having to do so drew me out of the book, and by the middle of THE WRATH AND THE DAWN, I wasn’t too interested anymore.

--The relationship between Shahrzad and Khalid. For a relationship that goes from enemies to lovers, it happens *really* fast. It’s not insta-love, but I personally needed more development of their relationship to believe it. I don’t know what Khalid saw in Shahrzad the first night, why he spared her life when he had killed every other bride. I’m also not entirely sure why Shahrzad started to fall for Khalid, wanting to kiss him while she wanted to kill him.

We know Khalid is a monster. Shahrzad knows he’s a monster. She starts the book off wanting to kill him. But then her feelings change because other people tell her Khalid isn’t the monster she thinks he is. He had a bad childhood. She’s conflicted, determined to get revenge for her friend even as she’s falling for Khalid. I don’t get it, but then, I’m usually quite picky with romance.

--Lastly, for a book that reimagines A Thousand and One Nights, I expected more stories! I really wanted to see Shahrzad telling Khalid more Arabian folk tales. I think there are two nights of storytelling described. I assume Shahrzad kept telling stories, but why not share more with the reader?

Overall, I was disappointed with THE WRATH AND THE DAWN. It’s the first in a trilogy, and based on my feelings for this book, I’m not sure if I’ll continue the series or not.

The Wrath and the Dawn is a YA retelling of A Thousand and One Nights. Renée Ahdieh's story takes you on a journey to a mystical, warm and exotic world of political intrigue, revolution and romance (of course). I absolutely devoured this book, mostly because it's so beautifully rich in culture and magic that I honestly didn't want to put it down! I can't wait to get my hands on the sequel! The love story isn't overly sappy, the characters are believable and the story is pretty amazing. I highly recommend this one as a quick, fun and interesting summer read! .

There are some awesome books out there that are worth every penny and then there are some that are not. This book falls in the latter category. While this book was entertaining and the writing was very lyrical and poetic (maybe too poetic at times) there seemed to be less world building than I would have liked and there was some odd motives (or lack thereof ) behind the character's actions that didn't really seem realistic. There was also an element of magic that is hinted at in the beginning and further showcased later in tbe book but the origin of the magic and how and why people have it isn't really explained which kinda irritated me. That being said, I really did enjoy the book and thought the concept was very good. The writing was very well done was really only lacking a bit of plot expansion and character development. I only paid $3.49 for this book in some sort of weird flash sale and it was definitely worth that price, but not $10.99 in my opinion. The most I would pay is probably 6.00 and luckily the paperback is selling for 6.99 so if you really want to read it I would recommend either waiting for some sort of sale for the kindle version or buying the paperback ;)

This story is loosely, and I mean loosely, inspired on the Arabian nights. Except for the name of Shahrzad and a few story lines from 1001Nights there is no relation between the two. At first I was disappointed because I was hoping that someone had done a more user friendly version of the classic for modern readers, but oh well, kept reading the book based on its own merits. The beginning was a little scattered but then the action picked up and it is quite an interesting and fun read. The story revolves around a girl named Shahrzad who aims to save the maidens of the kingdom from certain death, but on the process finds herself torn by her feelings and by discovering that not everything is as she had thought. It is a love story of sorts, of heartbreak and battles of wills. The author writes with cohesion, flow and romantic prose, building the characters nicely and at a pace that gives the reader the pleasure of discovering the stories behind them when necessary.

If you like romance, tension, intrigue, and all things middle east you will enjoy this book. It is sensual without being vulgar and appropriate for young adults. There is some graphic violence as well.

The reason I did not give it 5 stars is because I'm not sure if there will be a second book or not. If there isn't this book feels sorely incomplete. Towards the end of the book the author unleashed a series of events that made no sense to present unless there was an intention to expand upon. I'm a fan of alternative endings, never focused on happy endings, but it would be so much better if there was more to the story. Maybe I wanted there to be more. The story is engaging, predictable and sweet in its own way.

Hope there is more...

I've had this duology on my shelf for such a long time and finally decided to pick it up and jump into it. I am so incredibly happy that I did. I see why this duology is so loved and I am now one of the many that adore it. Fantastic characters and I have to pick up the next one after how this ended. Absolutely heart breaking story and heart breaking character development. I easily see this becoming a new favorite series.

It started out hard to understand because you are sort of just thrown into the story and not understanding what was going on. The writing was in third person and that threw me off for a bit. Added to the fact, that it changed perspectives and different characters made it a little confusing.

It did pick up at about a third of the way in and got really good and interesting. More is revealed and I loved reading about Khalid and Shahrzad.

Can't wait to read the next book! Plus the short story from Khalid's view seemed interesting.

Did you know that I studied Folklore & Mythology in college? That should indicate I really really love a good retelling. Actually, scratch that. I love all retellings. I could talk about retellings all day, and how Disney monopolized, whitewashed and murdered them… but then I would have to give the counterpoint that I really love Disney. So. Note to self. Must write about this one day.

Back to retellings. Is it just me or are there not many retellings these days about Middle East/Indian/Persian stories? If you know of more, get them to me. Please. Because this one is amazing. Nothing short of amazing really. I was hooked from the first few pages. The characters were complex, had depth and histories that impacted all their decisions. They had secrets, fears, desires. The story was compelling, the world tangible. And the story wasn’t overdone! How refreshing.

Also… this love story? I love falling in love despite best intentions… so powerful that you can’t help it and fate has forced your hand. That surprising love can heal. That spurned love has the power to ruin.

And forgive the pun, but something magical about this book was that the magic was subtle. That it was part of the world without being the forefront. It kept the mystery alive and fresh.

I am not doing this book any justice. Let’s just say I inhaled it. I cherish this book, its going on the to-be-reread shelf.

FIVE. STARS.

Check out my other reviews at[...]

I’m a sucker for a good retelling. I think it’s that typical human desire for certain stories. We all love a good ‘chosen one’ story, where one person saves the world against all odds because they’re meant to. We all love stories where good defeats evil because we want to believe that it always will, on the page and in reality. We all love stories where love saves someone from continuing down a bad path because we want to believe that love is always this transformative power. That it’s always that simple. The thing about retellings, though, is that they can either simply retell the story or they can update it, change it, tell it in a completely new way.

I’ll admit I’m not aware of which kind of retelling The Wrath and the Dawn is. I haven’t read A Thousand and One Nights and all I know are random details. Not enough to know how close of a retelling The Wrath and the Dawn is. However, I will say that if the original is anywhere near as good as this retelling, I definitely need to read it.

Hopefully it’s clear that I absolutely love this book. If not, here it is again: I absolutely LOVE this book. Why, you may ask? I’ll tell you why.

First of all, the characters. Characters make or break a book for me. If I don’t like reading about the characters no plot, no matter how exciting, can draw me in. The Wrath and the Dawn definitely did not have this problem. All of the characters and well-written and three-dimensional. Let’s start with Sharzahd. She is fiercely loyal to those she cares about. She is determined when she wants to accomplish something. She is brave. She is intelligent. She is caring. She is passionate. She is also very very human. She has a temper. She can be moody at times. (Though most of her moods make perfect sense to me given the circumstances she’s in.) She can be somewhat childish at times. She can be overly suspicious. Yet her flaws just make her that much better as a character. Now let’s talk about Khalid. His flaws are, especially initially, more obvious than his strengths. He has been the reason for countless deaths. He is short tempered. He can be cold. He is proud. (Though what royal/noble/super rich and powerful character isn’t?) Yet he has strengths as well. When he cares, he cares deeply. He is intelligent. He is honest. He is passionate. He is brave. The secondary characters in the books are equally well-developed. From Despina’s confidence to Jalal’s playful nature to Tariq’s loyalty, each secondary character is their own person and all are given equal importance in the story. The reader gets to know each character as an individual and not just as an acquaintance of the main character (s) they are connected to.

Second of all, the relationships. The romance between Sharzahd and Khalid was, of course, beautiful. It developed at the perfect pace and in a perfectly natural way. It didn’t feel out of place for either character. Sharzahd’s friendships with Despina and Jalal were also interesting to read about, especially Despina. Sharzahd and Despina had their fights, in fact they bickered a lot, yet at the end of the day they both care about each other. Khalid’s friendship/family relationship with Jalal is also an interesting one. Jalal definitely gets on Khalid’s nerves a lot, yet you can tell Jalal definitely cares about his cousin and I’m sure the feeling is mutual, even though Khalid may not be the best at showing it. I also enjoy the (possible? past?) romance between Despina and Jalal and I hope they will have a happy ending (as well as Sharzahd and Khalid, of course) in the next book. I did enjoy learning about Sharzahd’s relationship with Tariq as well as her friendship with Rahim. Although I don’t ship Sharzahd and Tariq, I definitely understand why they both developed feelings for each other. Though I personally prefer them as friends.

Thirdly, the plot. This book is very character driven but there definitely is an interesting plot. A lot of it has to do with Sharzahd trying to figure out when and how she’s going to get revenge for Shiva. The rest is mostly to do with Khalid’s backstory.Then of course there’s Tariq’s part in the plot which has to do with him wanting to get Sharzahd away from the ‘monster’ she’s married to. As I said, very character driven, but I like that.

Fourthly, the writing. The writing in this book is very beautiful. It was poetic and definitely drew you into the story. While reading, I felt like Khalid listening to one of the stories Sharzahd told him. I didn’t want the story to end. And when it did, I wanted more.

Of course, no book is perfect. There are a few minor things that I didn’t enjoy about this book.

First of all, there are some slow moments. Every book has them. For me, the slow moments happen mostly in Tariq’s, Rahim’s, or Jahandar’s points of view. That part of the plot doesn’t interest me much, probably because of my Sharzahd/Khalid bias (not just as a relationship but as individual characters).

Second of all, I would have liked more worldbuilding. There is, of course, worldbuilding in the book but I would like to know more. What do other kingdoms think of what’s going on in Khorasan? Who knows Khalid’s story? What about the magic in this world? How exactly does it work? It appears to require some kind of sacrifice. Why? Is magic common in this world? Are magic users often well known or do they hide their powers? What about Musa’s blanket? How will it come into play in the future? Basically, I have a lot of questions that I’m hoping will get answered in the next book.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would recommend anyone who’s a fan of a fantasy/retelling/romance combination.

Review also posted on <a href="https://iliveandbreathewords.wordpress.com/2016/09/09/the-wrath-and-the-dawn-by-renee-ahdieh-review/"> my blog </a>

It's been a long time since a book made me want to stay home all day and read it!

What stopped me from giving it a 5 was partly the third person narration (I found it hard to follow at times) and the romance wasn't quite what I wanted it to be. The romance was a little too "magical connection" for me and needed a little bit more elaborating to make me really, really satisfied.

Regardless, I truly did enjoy the romance and the story was definitely intriguing. It was exactly what I expected and wanted when I picked up this book!

To be fair, this one took me a while to get into. I was at least 80 pages in before I began to really care about the characters and the story. But once I did, I was hooked. I then could hardly put the thing down until I was finished. Having read some of the original Arabian Nights, I have to say that I was a.) surprised to see such a misogynistic story rewritten for YA and b.) not thrilled with how the sexual themes of the story were glazed over. I found that pretty unrealistic and kind of weak. And it's questionable whether you can or should write an empathetic woman-hating serial killer as a love interest, but Ahdieh managed to weave a plot around her main characters with some artistic license that absolved them of the original story's sins. She was also fantastic at creating characters and a world that was richly developed and easy to love. In the beginning I was questioning her judgment and her skill, but by the end I was singing her praises. A riveting read.

I have heard a lot of good things about this book so I was eager to read it. A friend gave me a copy and at first I felt it was a little too juvenile for me. As I kept going it got better and better though. By the end of it I definitely wanted to carry on to book 2. I just hope the love triangle aspect of the story doesn't drive me nuts. I can't stand a girl that flip flops between men! Pick one and be loyal. I purchased book 2 on my Kindle and will start reading shortly.

I finished this book in one day because I could not bear to put it down. Not only is the writing absolutely stunning and on par with writers like Jacqueline Carey it is a stunning retelling of the Arabian Nights. I thought the characters were nuanced and realistic and the world was absolutely gorgeous. If you like Sarah J Maas or Jacqueline Carey you will eat up this book!

I read 53% (according to Kindle) of this book, then returned it. I'm sorry but if I am halfway through the book and nothing even remotely interesting has happened, I will not continue reading it. It was just full of descriptive rooms, situations, people, but no action, drama, romance really at all! Very bland..and the prose was borderline unnatural and unrealistic. Don't recommend for people who like fast-paced books....

The Wrath and the Dawn written by Renee Ahdieh is a twist on the age old tale of A Thousand Nights in a gripping love story. The story begins capturing the attention of the reader by making it clear Sherzad intends on killing the King. The reader is immediately locked in with, “And I shall take from you these lives, a thousandfold” (3). I wanted to know why she wished for revenge upon the King and how she intended on doing so, thus I read the novel quickly all in one sit. Ahdeih has a way of writing in which she leaves each chapter with an unanswered question. The greatest question that lasts through the entirety of the novel is, “Will Sharjah survive each night”? The story follows the fable of the King who had a new bride and each dawn she would die. The way the novel is written with its portrayal of ancient Arabica and the Medieval Times captured my attention. Not only did I hope for the well being of Sherzad, but I wanted to know how the kingdom would be affected due to the descriptive storytelling. For example, Ahdei uses imagery when describing the, “dune, walled fortress of tan stone and grey mortar rose from the sands, its vaulted turrets capped in spirals of copper tinges by the turquoise patina of age” (15). She brings life to the dusty desert and cold castle the King lives in. I would recommend this novel to anyone who loves a tragic love story and escaping to another world. The world Ahdieh depicts is fantatsical in the sense that this Arabia no longer exists in all its royalty. With Sherzad and the King's love story and the mystifying setting, the novel is truly a masterpiece.

5 STUNNING STARS

A fierce combination of a hypnotic retelling, rich fantasy, and a beautifully conflicted romance, that stole my breath away and had my heart aching for more!! THE WRATH & THE DAWN was beyond anything I'd dreamed it would be, and so epically wonderful!

Wow, WOW, WOOWWWWW!!! I can't even begin to form the right words to express the love I have for this book!! From beginning to end I was transfixed, and awed with the backbone of this world, and the complexity of the world building that spun the tale of this epic story, and made this world into what was.

I fiercely loved these characters, especially Shazi. She was such a badass protagonist, even though I did have my ups and downs with her. I ultimately connected with her and her conflicting emotions to love the man her heart desired. Even as she struggled not to give into her heart because of the lives he took. And at first I was a little disgusted with how Shazi could even entertain the idea of falling in love with Khalid for the things he's done. But at the same time I knew their was more to the story of him just wanting to be a hateful and controlling monster. I mean it was obvious by his actions and personality that he cared for his people, and it was heartbreaking to see him forced into things with such a big impact on so many lives. I thought the characters had layers upon layers of development, and inciting mystery behind it all that I just wanted to piece together like a puzzle, seeing where they all fit and unfit. And ultimately, by the middle of the book I shipped Shazi and Khalid so hard, that it was painful to watch the obstacles in their way to each other, yet thrilling and heart-pounding to endure.

THE PLOT

One hundred lives for the one you took.
One life to one dawn.
Should you fail but a single morn,
I shall take from you your dreams.
I shall take from you your city.
And I shall take from you these lives, a thousandfold...

Revenge is the sweet song that Shazi's craves. The ache in the pit of her stomach, the blinding rage pounding in her heart, the eager determination to seek justice, the compelling thirst to draw blood, to exact revenge on the one that shattered Shazi's world...

Shahrzad's mission is simple...

Volunteer to become the evil boy-king Khalid's wife, play her roll as the dutiful wife, find a way to be granted a stay of execution, find Khalid's weaknesses, exploit them and play on his desires, and then drive a dagger deep through his heart, watching the life drain from his eyes with the pleasure of revenge dripping from the blade in crimson...

Shazi thinks she has it all figured out, but when her plan starts in motion, and the truth behind the deaths at dawn start to unravel, Shazi realizes with a horrifying start, that the boy-king is not the evil villain she once felt deep within her heart. He is a pawn in this vicious game just like her, the king forced to make moves that will shatter their kingdom and rattle the foundation they once knew.

The longer Shazi stays in the palace, and the more she gets to know Khalid--the real Khalid that very few get to see, the more the ice begins to melt around Shazi's heart. Revealing a desire, a need, a connection to the boy that has broken so many homes, ended the lives of so many girls, her best friend included, the more Shazi can't seem to fight the love pulsing through her heart, pushing out the rage and hate she once felt for him, trading it with something dangerous, something deadly, something unforgivable to the rest of the world. But Shazi can't find the strength to fight it anymore, and she's ready to let go and let loose, and lose herself completely, to a murderer...

THE WRATH & THE DAWN was beyond perfect, beyond epic, and beyond anything I ever expected from it. It was such a blast to read, reeling me in from the very beginning, and making me fall desperately in love with everything in between!!! I really can't find anything negative to say about THE WRATH & THE DAWN, or any reason why anyone wouldn't enjoy it. I mean of course their will be some people who will find reasons not to enjoy it, because not everyone will like every book they read. But for me, it was perfect, which is weird because I went into this book not really expecting much from it. It didn't really sound like something I would enjoy, let alone love. But Renee Ahdieh surprised me in more ways then one, and griped her claws into my bookish heart, where she will stay for years to come...

Overall, THE WRATH & THE DAWN was a spectacular first installment that I absolutely adored!! If you like fresh retelllings, with an awesome cast of characters, a hot and complicated romance, with war brewing in the background, set on the foundation of an evil curse, then THE WRATH & THE DAWN is one book you won't want to miss!!

NOTE: I received a physical ARC from Putnam Juvenile (Penguin) for reviewing purposes! All opinions expressed are my own and are not influenced in any way!

First, do not read the prologue.

I believe it to be an egregious editorial oversight, or else a tremendous lack of faith in the readers. It blithely showcases the beating-heart crux and climax of the novel, which the whole book spends developing.

So, skip the prologue. What do you have? A rich, raw-edged, and vibrant YA retelling of the classic One Thousand and One Nights, without all the problematic trappings of a typical YA book. Yes, there is forbidden love, a plucky heroine, a corrupt ruler, and everyone happens to look 'handsome' and 'lovely.' But while love plays an essential role in the arc of the storyline, given that the main heroine marries the main antagonist in the first chapter, it is never the central theme.

At its core, The Wrath and the Dawn seeks the answer one question: why does the king of a prosperous nation take a new bride each night, only to have her executed at dawn? The main heroine, Shahrzad, has seen no rhyme or reason to the king’s actions other than simply ‘because he can’ and ‘because he’s a murderous bastard,’ and thus launches into a gutsy and near-suicidal plan not only to wed the murderous king Khalid and survive, but to enact her own revenge on him for killing so many innocent girls, her best friend included. What The Wrath and The Dawn has accomplished best is drawing out the the simmering and genuinely antagonistic relationship between Shahrzad and Khalid. They are enemies first, lovers second, and the book never lets its readers forget that.

Shahrzad exemplifies everything that one can wish for in a YA heroine. Independent, sharp-witted and sharp-tongued, and not without the occasional and very human flaws of impulsivity and tactlessness. Sure, she’s beautiful, but she weaponizes her beauty in the same way she does her wits or her archery skills. Shahrzad’s tactic of retelling stories and fables in order to stay alive (borrowed from the original classic) is brilliantly done within the storyline, and it only underscores the finesse and cleverness under which Shahrzad operates.

Unfortunately, where the story started losing some of its punch and hand-around-your-heart tension, was when love is finally realized between the novel’s central relationship. The love itself is described much in the same terms and plays out in the same fashion as countless other YA plots. But the love story, in my opinion, was always secondary to the mystery of the executed brides and Shahrzad’s ingenious methods for uncovering that mystery.

Read this book for the heroine, Shahrzad, and not her romantic relationships. Read this book for its realistic and palatable take on magic, attraction, and justice in a landscape that is achingly harsh and tragic. Read this book for its unique and engrossing twist on a classic tale.

And for god’s sake, don’t read the prologue.

I AM SPEECHLESS. I have been seeing this book for several months now, rounding the book review channels I am subscribed at HOWEVER for some reasons, I hesitated to read it even when they were all raving about it!!! The reviews, ugh trust me, I’m such an idiot for even taking this long to consider this book!!! I started reading this book last Friday, and after 15 hours, I finally finished it!!!! Me finishing a book in less than one day is HUGE. THIS is by far the best read I’ve had in years now!! I wish they turn this into a movie !!!!

I gave this book a 6 out of 5!!! THIS IS A FIRST in a long time or maybe, since I started this blog. All books have its own stories which I appreciate too BUT this book is DIFFERENT! Aside from Harry Potter, Twilight, Beautiful Series, and Bared To You Series, which I have not had the chance to post my reviews here but I have read a long time ago (except for Harry Potter), I never have ever rated a book beyond 5!

Ugh, I am in love with Khalid! I love Shazi’s fierceness! I loved it when Khalid finally opened up to Shazi about the whole truth. I loved how Khalid reacted when he learned about Shazi’s real intentions and how she addressed it too; I felt their honesty, no pretensions, they manifested great trust in every words and actions between them at that moment. I love how beautifully this books was written! I raped the highlighter with all its quotes!!! I loved it when this book brought me to a different setting, light, culture, customs (bowing and putting their right hand over their brows as a sign of respect, etc). UGH! I truly appreciate seeing and or being in that moment, in that time, and in that place. It’s very educational knowing these customs. It’s not cliche to me maybe because I have never read books that were from the Arab settings etc.Knowing these things exists, life changing. Hahaha Tid bits of trivia — makes me a little smarter than yesterday I think. And lastly, Shazi’s story telling — the ones that made her survive many dawns — were a bonus too. I enjoyed hearing it as much as Khalid did.:)

I REALLY WISH THEY TURN THIS INTO A MOVIE! Oh Aladdin.❤

UP next… Is the Rose And The Dagger. Book 2!!! Wait for my book review!!!
[...]

I was completely drawn into The Wrath and the Dawn and really loved reading it overall. Starting the book and understanding its connection to A Thousand And One Nights, I was expecting a dramatic and seemingly flat storyline. Just a couple pages into the book, I was automatically drawn into the setting, characterization and plot. The book went above and beyond my expectations, revealing more depth and stylistic writing than I had anticipated. I love how Shazi and Khalid were introduced and characterized, at first very distant and unalike figures in the story. The readers expect Khalid to be aggressive, apathetic and predictable, especially because of how he’s known as a king to murder every bride he gets before dawn the next day. He is set up to be a murderous and untouchable enemy to the kingdom, and especially to Shahrzad and her family. The book makes an interesting plot twist though when her heart begins to change after living in the palace with the King, at first in hopes to avenge him for killing her best friend any numerous other young women.
One of my favorite parts of the book was the depth of Shahrzad’s heart and her conflict between facing the King and what she volunteered to do, and empathizing with him for her childhood trauma and ancient spell cast on him. I think it was crucial to develop this struggle throughout the book in order to reveal the internal battle she faces while in the palace. Unlike most YAL novels where romance develops without much depth or reason, this book succeeded in showing the crisis and conflict between the two characters.
In addition to this, I enjoyed reading the book because of the writer’s craft implemented, emphasizing the author’s imagery, figurative language and overall very poetic and artistic writing skills. I think this made the plot, characterization and setting even more realistic and empathetic to the reader. Although I really loved the book, it was frustrating to read the ending, a climax in itself. Although this encourages the readers to read the sequel, it was quite unsatisfying after being engaged in the entire book and Shahrzad’s and Khalid’s conflicting relationship. Although I liked how the author implemented the letters again in the end, I wish I had some kind of closure to their relationship and it’s future.
Overall, I highly recommend this book to others and really enjoyed reading it, despite the complicated ending. I like the boldness and depth of the characters and the life lessons it teaches to young adults. It is crucial for young adults to realize the depth of humans instead of simply judging them for the outside, or society’s label of them. I think this novel can teach students that in order to truly know someone, one must cast away their own misconceptions and work hard at getting to know their heart.

**spoiler alert** So good!!! Easily a new favorite. Kind of reminds me of Throne of Glass mixed with Game of Thrones. Sharhzad, Khalid, and Jalal are such great characters. Great story with just enough magic and adventure for myself. Not much, but it's there.

I'm also a sucker for troubling romances and the one between Sharzhad and Khalid is on point. It's equally frustrating as it is admirable.

I honestly thought that Shazi wouldn't have made it past the first couple nights. Like obviously, she would've survived, but I thought she would escaped the palace and gone on this grand adventure. I'm quite pleased with how it actually turned out though.

Despina is a character that I think ever book needs and almost every book has. She's the sassy friend that helps add some comic relief to the story line when things get heavy.

Don't want to spoil too much, but

I'm so angry at myself for not reading this book sooner because it is utter perfection. I loved every second of it. It lives up to all of its hype and is unlike any book I have ever read. Not only was it entertaining but I felt that I was learning as I was reading—there is real substance in the intricacy of its plot. I'm so overwhelmed with love for this book that I can scarcely find the words to describe it.

Renée Ahdieh's writing is truly amazing. Not only does she have a well-developed and thought out plot, her characters are enchanting and amusing. My favorite character is Shazi, and I absolute love her tenacity and her spunk. She decides her own fate and makes others bend to her will. She embodies everything I wish I could be as a woman. I also love Khalid, and I was rooting for him since his first appearance in the novel. Look out for a book boyfriend post from me about him very soon.

I fell in love with this book from its first page. Many people implored me to read it, and I should have listened to them sooner. Listen to me guys—read The Wrath and The Dawn as soon as possible.

Full review: http://www.bookrambles.com/2015/08/the-wrath-and-dawn-by-renee-ahdieh.html

I'll be honest, this book sat on my bookshelf for well over a year before I finally picked it up two days ago. Waiting that long was a mistake. I haven't eaten up a book as quickly and as eagerly as this in years. It was refreshing to have a retelling of a non-Western story and the writing was exquisite and did the original A Thousand and One Nights justice. Of course there are major story and character differences, but I came to love the good ones and despise the bad with a true passion. It included one of my favorite tropes, hate to love, and while the romance happened a bit too quick to be entirely believable, it was easy to go along with it. The author gives you everything you want for them while playing with fear and tragedy. There were a few flaws here and there (such as how quickly the protagonists fall in love), but none were problematic enough for me to really notice and be bothered by them. The book is full of description and Arabic/Eastern culture with flourishes of magic here and there. It's intense and heart stopping but there are also moments that just made me laugh. So I recommend you stop debating this and just buy the book. You'll probably finish this, and it's sequel and accompanying short stories, in two days like I did.

4 stars!

“What are you doing to me, you plague of a girl?” he whispered.
“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.”

A retelling of 1001 arabian nights, The Wrath and the Dawn is the story of Shahrzad. Shahrzad volunteers to be one of the many wives of the king, knowing the risk that by the morning after her wedding she will be dead. But she volunteered as a part of a plan of vengeance, for her best friend was one of the many brides murdered by her King. She survives the first night by enrapturing the king with a story until dawn, and she lives to see another day. As the days pass she begins to learn there is more to this story than she knows, and more dangers afoot.

“You have a beautiful laugh. Like the promise of tomorrow.”

I've seen lots of reviews being tossed around for this book, and it was a finalist in the Goodreads choice awards so I decided to give it a chance. What I found was a unique story and a strong heroine, alongside a fresh take on the beloved story of 1001 nights. There were parts that were a bit slow/confusing, hence four stars and not five, but ultimately this book captured my attention and didn't let go until I was done.

I kept reading because I had to know what came next, ever unsure of where the story would lead me. I hope the wait for the next book isn't too long so I can read it right away! There were lots of unanswered questions at the end of this book and I need to know what happens next! Bravo to Renee Ahdieh for this story, and for a writing style that captivates and entertains the reader throughout the entire story.

“There is no one I would rather see the sunrise with than you.”

Meh not a bad little book but not knowing it had a sequel was aggravating. I don’t care to read much of a books description as that can sometimes reveal unwanted clues as to where the story is heading. Not particularly into romance novels so I was surprised I was able to stay with this. Even though story managed to pique my interest I probably won’t bother with sequel.

Wow. Just wow. Shazi is such a powerful soul. She's a kick-ass warrior queen who know what she wants. Until she meets Khalid. Khalid is the king. And a murderer. He murdered Shazi's friend, so she should hate him, right? He marries over and over, and at the dawn of the next day, they always end up dead. But is it really his fault.

Shazi's on a mission: Kill the king. Survive. But its harder than she thought. He has compassion, but he hides it. He has depth, but he barries it.

Behind all the prominent drama, Shazi's childhood lover wants revenge. He wants Shazi for himself, and he wants the king dead, along with many other rivals.

This book is so beautiful and intricately woven. The emotions behind the acts are powerful and tearjerking. It's that feeling when you don't know if you want to hurt something or kiss it.

Definitely a 5 star book!
So good I read it in 2 days.

Check out this review and more on teenlythings.net

~~~Review posted on The Heart of a Book Blogger~~~

I absolutely loved The Wrath and the Dawn; I think it may even be my favorite read of 2015! I loved Renée Ahdieh’s characters and writing so very much. Everything about this book was perfection. The setting, fantasy aspects, and the romance. Oh boy, the romance was wonderful. Khalid is most definitely on my list of top book boyfriends. I highly recommend it.

One of my favorite books this year. It took me a couple chapters to really get into it, but once I did, there was no stopping me. I devoured this book. The writing was so rich and beautiful. The characters were so multifaceted and intriguing. I loved the word and the mystery. The little fairytales thrown in were just mesmerizing. Ahdieh can certainly build a likeable villain and an endearing heroine. I love a book that can make me excited to read about every character from the king to the handmaiden, everyone was interesting. I cannot wait for the next book!

Overall I really enjoyed the story. It kind of felt like a Beauty and the Beast retelling set in a completely different atmosphere which I absolutely loved. There were parts that made it hard for me to put the book down and then there were parts that I found slow. It did leave on a cliffhanger and I will probably read the sequel in the future.

4.4 out of 5 stars!
An amazing debut novel by author Renee Ahdieh. Filled with mesmerizing characters and a unique look at a different culture. An unpredictable and stunning plot with suspense and secrets at every turn is what made me enjoy this book. With intricate details from the beautiful clothing to the delicious food, this book will make readers feel like they are truly there and eager to read the sequel!

This was such a beautiful retelling! I fell in love with Ahdieh's writing, and I absolutely adored all of the characters and the world building. I really can't wait for the sequel to be released. This greatly exceeded all of my expectations! This was such an amazing debut novel and I really cannot stress how beautiful the writing is. And all the descriptions of food! I wanted to jump into the pages just for the food. I highly recommend picking up this book. It was such a wonderful take on Arabian Nights.

***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***

The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh
Book One of The Wrath and the Dawn series
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Publication Date: May 12, 2015
Rating: 4 stars
Source: ARC sent by the publisher

Summary (from Goodreads):

Every dawn brings horror to a different family in a land ruled by a killer. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, takes a new bride each night only to have her executed at sunrise. So it is a suspicious surprise when sixteen-year-old Shahrzad volunteers to marry Khalid. But she does so with a clever plan to stay alive and exact revenge on the Caliph for the murder of her best friend and countless other girls. Shazi's wit and will, indeed, get her through to the dawn that no others have seen, but with a catch . . . she’s falling in love with the very boy who killed her dearest friend.

She discovers that the murderous boy-king is not all that he seems and neither are the deaths of so many girls. Shazi is determined to uncover the reason for the murders and to break the cycle once and for all.

What I Liked:

This is definitely a book you all do not want to miss this year. 2015 is quite the year for YA fantasy, and this book is definitely one of the best ones I've read for the year. There have plenty of other great ones that are as good or even better than this one, like An Ember in the Ashes or The Orphan Queen or The Girl at Midnight. The Wrath and the Dawn is right up there, and will most likely end up on my Top Ten YA Fantasy Novels of 2015 post at the end of the year!

Shahrzad is the next of a line of hundreds of brides who marry the King of Kings, Khalid, Caliph of Khorasan, at noon of one day, and is executed at dawn the next day. No one understands this senseless murder, but everyone is affected by it. Shahrzad volunteers as a bride, determined to kill Khalid for killing her best friend Shiva. Not only does Shahrzad survive past dawn - she slowly beings to fall for the caliph. But how? He's a monster that orders the execution of each new bride. But why? Shahrzad finds that the caliph is not who she thought he was, and the murders are not without reason. But can she put an end to the deaths, without killing Khalid himself?

I've never read A Thousand and One Nights, but I'm familiar with the story. I love the Simpsons' short version, with Ned and Lisa. This book is a retelling, or based on A Thousand and One Nights. The alone was enough to draw me in - fantasy! Retelling! And then the synopsis was revealed, and I went all OMG OMG OMG! I absolutely love stories that have romance in which characters go from hate to love. And then the cover was revealed, and it was like the icing on a (hopefully) delicious. To continue with the cake analogy (now I REALLY want cake), this book was quite delicious, well worth the wait and totally meant to enjoy again and savor!

I was a bit wary of Shahrzad in the beginning of this book. She was very hell-bent on destroying Khalid, and it was a little disturbing. I mean, I totally get it. If my sister or best friend or anyone I love was killed for basically no reason, I'd want to slaughter the guy too. But as a reader, we already know that Khalid isn't just killing innocent girls for no reason. We see that something is terribly wrong, and that he does not enjoy killing them. He isn't quite the monster Shahrzad (and the rest of the city) have in his head.

So I admired Shahrzad's bravery and determination, but I was also sad, because I felt bad for Khalid. But as the story went on, I grew to really like Shahrzad. She isn't afraid of Khalid, and she does as she pleases, consequences ignored. She has the attitude that, she could be executed at any point, so nothing matters, and she might as well do as she pleases, like take up wandering or shooting arrows or bothering people. I really like Shahrzad. She is the flame to Khalid's ice.

Oh, Khalid. I have the biggest crush on him right now. He's eighteen, but honestly, his demeanor gave off the age of someone much older. He's mature, but mostly, he's weighed down by all the deaths he's sanctioned. He will do anything for his city. We find out why he does what he does late in the book, and it's so heartbreaking. I have a lot of respect for Khalid, because he shoulders much. Khalid appears unfeeling, quiet, icy, but he is lonely, guilty, burdened. He lets Shahrzad in slowly, and it's the most beautiful to read. The first time he calls her "my queen"... my heart melted. And then his words got sweeter and they were so genuine and you really couldn't help falling for the guy.

These two characters are wonderfully developed protagonists. The book is written in third person, limited to Khalid and Shahrzad (more Shahrzad than Khalid). It doesn't flip back and forth, but each character gets a fair amount of third-person-perspective exposure. I loved reading from both of their perspectives. I don't even have a preference. That's the beautiful thing about third person - no matter limited or omniscient, the story is told by a remote narrator, so I won't be caught up in liking on character's point-of-view more than the other's.

Did I mention that I LOVE the romance? The whole hate-turned-love thing is probably my favorite romance trope in the whole world, and I LOVE how it is exemplified in this book. I love Khalid, I love Shahrzad, and I love seeing them fall for each. Slow-burn romance, slowly developed trust.

The fantasy is stunning, and the world-building is so well-written. There is magic and lore and curses and swords and assassins and basically my favorite kind of fantasy. This book is much more than a romance story between Khalid and Shahrzad. Breaking the curse becomes quite important especially towards the end of the book, when Shahrzad finds out about it.

There's also an entire side to this book I have yet to mention - Shahrzad's family never stopped trying to find ways to get her back, should she survive. Eventually, they all hear of how the caliph is taken with his new bride, and names her his queen. Tariq, Shahrzad's old childhood friend and the boy she used to love, still loves her, and will kill Khalid for taking her and killing the other girls. Shahrzad's father invokes dark magic to gain power, in order to overthrow Khalid. There's quite a lot of craziness that comes together at the end of the story.

Speaking of the ending... it isn't all that happy at all. Definitely a cliffhanger in terms of certain relationships... and not a satisfying ending. The issue with the curse isn't resolve, the romance is teetering, and the full-on war that we get a taste of is is brewing. It's nice to know that there will be a sequel but I wish this book had ended a little more nicely, especially in terms of certain, um, people.

What I Did Not Like:

The ending definitely makes this one's rating lower than it could be. Theoretically, this book gets five stars from me. But with the cruel ending (I HATE these types of endings), this book was bound to lose at least a star.

The other part that really annoyed me is the possible emergence of a love triangle. We all ship Khalid and Shahrzad (you will be the end of the book, there is no doubt of that). Tariq's mere presence just BOTHERS me. I don't even like him. I mean, he's doing nothing wrong - he's trying to rescue the girl he loves. That's really noble. But, dude, just NO. She's not for you anymore. And he sees that by the end of the book. And yet... the ending has me so furious about certain things, and it has nothing to do with neither Khalid nor Shahrzad. I'm blaming everything on Tariq. And the author, of course. Ha.

Would I Recommend It:

This is definitely a favorite of the year, I can tell. So I would recommend wholeheartedly. What would make this book even better is if I could get the next one in my hands right now... impossible. You don't have to be a fantasy fan to fall in love with book. This is definitely one that I would pre-order as soon as possible, and not just because of the pretty cover.

Rating:

4 stars. More like 3.5 stars, but in terms of how I feel towards individual things, this book gets five stars. But if I were to "calculate" the rating, it's 3.5-4 stars. I've already reread this book several times, so you KNOW it's good when that happens! Despite the cruel ending, I would get a copy of this one as soon as possible if I were you! And then suffer quietly with me as we wait for 2016 to roll around.

It was good, but underwhelming.

The Not So Good
This was not an on the edge of your seat kind of story. It moved slowly. The Heroine is egotistical and calculating. There was some element lacking in the hero that I can't put my finger on. Some characters were given whole chapters to themselves that just didn't lend themselves to being invested in. The sub characters such as her hand maiden would have been fun to know more about. We're only given tidbits to what's happening in her life, but those tidbits are so interesting I wish she'd been given chapters to herself.

The Better
That being said, the chapters I was not invested in someone else who likes more political intrigue may enjoy. The heroine has an ego and is calculating b/c she's on a revenge mission so she has to be calculating to stay alive (I still don't like it tho, so maybe I just picked up the wrong book for me). I did like the descriptions of every day life and the descriptions of food and stalls in the city. Well done.

In Conclusion
It has an underwhelming romance and too much political intrigue and not enough supporting characters fully fleshed out (for the romantic in me). If you like a more dry, calculating, political read then this is for you.

I absolutely loved Shazi, the main character. When I first read the synopsis of this one, I thought it was just going to be your typical "girl out for vengeance falls in love with the bad guy" story, but this one was so much more. Shazi was strong and sure of herself and continued to question everything, even as she found herself falling for the "bad guy," Khalid. The writing was fantastic, and it was just really excellent overall

Captivating. Attractive. Enchanting. With the needed oomph. Renee Ahdieh's The Wrath and the Dawn is the first of the duology and the perfect re-telling of the Arabian Nights or 1001 Nights as it is known. Clothed in an innovative cover and filled with Ahdieh's flowing words, The Wrath and the Dawn was at the top of my favorite book last year (this is a late review of the book).

Shahrzad and Khalid of Khorosan made for an intriguing pair. Strong willed, Sassy and capable of speaking her mind Shahrzad. Volunteering to marry a rumored tyrant when she is most likely going to die the next dawn. Willing to sacrifice herself in order to kill the man responsible for the death of her best friend Shiva. She is a force to be held and knows just what buttons to push. An all round bad-ass and kick-ass heroine to behold.

Khalid, the tall, dark and mysterious ruler of Khorosan. Imperfect and marred with a tragic past. Eighteen years old and being burdened with a mysterious affliction hasn't done anything to alleviate the tortured soul he is. Death of so many wives without reason has not done anything to raise him in the eyes of his people either. He often appears stone cold and calculating but Shahrzad seems to strike a chord.

She sees something no one ever cared to see. She may have agreed to marry him to eventually exact revenge for her best friend but instead of a monster she sees a tortured soul looking for belonging and love, someone who interests in listening to stories. She sees a man chaffing under the guilt of the murders of his previous wives. Somehow their developing love melts Khalid's cold heart into beating anew. Somehow he finds the yin to his yang. A burgeoning love, fiercest of the fierce. Searing romance, emotions raging high .... and you (reader) find yourself swept in their overtures of love.... My favorite pair .......

Ahdieh paints a convincing and vibrant world with her words. The narrative is spot on and Khorosan is beautifully realized. The words easy to understand and lyrical to be experienced. There is also a glossary at the end to reference the meaning of the Arabic words used. And all the food Shahrzad and Khalid consume and the mouth watering descriptions the author provided had me constantly hungry wherever i came across them.

I'm forgetting someone aren't I? Yes! .... Tariq .... I remember him .... He just annoyed me to no ends and whenever his chapters came around I was always impatient for them to be over. Otherwise I just absolutely loved and adored every bit of this re-telling of 1001 Nights. Of course magic is touched upon but not overtly depended on as the human emotions play a bigger part in this rendition. Utter perfection ..... Eagerly anticipating The Rose and the Dagger now.

The author uses the phrase “all but” 9 times in this book. And I don’t think the author completely understands how to use it. I’m barely into the Moth and Flame novella, and I encountered another “all but”. But that one was actually used correctly.

Where to start? This book was really good! The fact that the story was inspired by 'A thousand and one nights' didn't even occur to me, until after several nights.

Guess what? It was my luck that I didn't realize it was a 'retelling'/'re-imagined'/'inspired by' story. Usually I don't bother adding those books to my TBR-list, because I'm always afraid that I can't go in open-minded and I will judge a book by it's original story. However, this book might have not had this problem anyway, because I totally forgot what 'A thousand and one nights' was about.

This book had everything. History, romance, magic, action...
It's been a while since a book grabbed my attention from the get-go without letting it slip at any point. This isn't your ordinary fairy tale; it's so much more.

The characters development and the world building are outstanding. Yet there is a small reason I didn't give this book a full five stars. The names. Almost every time a name was mentioned, the last name was included. Unfortunately, the characters could not just be called by their first names most of the time. I get that it had its purpose, but it did bother me.

Besides this minor annoyance, I thoroughly enjoyed this story and I can't wait for the next book of this duology!

Recommended: Yes

MY THOUGHTS
I put off reading this for almost a year because I wasn't sure if I would enjoy it. I mean I liked the synopsis, but I had never heard the story from which this one is being re-told, A Thousand and One Nights. Not only that, but I wasn't sure if I would enjoy the characters and the setting of it. I know now that I shouldn't push books like this a way. I should really try and be more open minded to new cultural and diverse books. It did take me a few pages to really get into it though, but as soon as I did I wanted to learn as much as I could about these characters.

SETTING
The setting was something new to me so I enjoyed reading about it. I love how the author described these places so vibrantly.

CHARACTERS
There were a ton of different characters in the book, but only a few I care to mention.
Shahrzad or Shazi as I will call her is the main herione in the book she volunteers to be married to this boy-king who is known for killing his wives at dawn the day after they marry. So why is she taking on the responsibility because she wants revenge for the murder of her best friend Shiva. What she doesn't know is that she will be the one falling....falling for this boy. As strong and independent as she is she is also weak and emotional. I don't think I would be so forgiving and involved with the monster who killed my BF. Yes, she learns a bit of Khalids story as to why he is this way, but that should not matter.
Khalid was the boy king who was known as this monster to the people in his country/town. He did not bare his soul to very many,and therefore no one knew the real reason behind the killings. I won't lie I had a soft spot for him when I learned of his past, and how he begin to treat Shazi not like a thing, but his mate.
Tariq, Shazi's old friend was hell bent on saving her from the monster and killing him. Soon he learned that time changes things.
Despina was such a fun character. I loved her banter and wit, and I'm glad that Shazi and her became some what close. It was their back and forth conversations I loved. Despina acted as a friend more than a handmaiden.

DOWNFALL
I had a few downfalls with this book.
The main downfall I had with this book was the names. This may seem like a stupid reason to put on here, but I get so tripped up trying to say the names and read it right that I sometimes get frustrated.
Another downfall I had was how Shazi so quickly fell for this boy-king who murdered her best friend. Why? This person has taken away so many lives, and yet you have this connection with him.

ENDING
In a way I'm glad I took this long to read it because now I won't have to wait so long for is sophomore book The Rose and the Dagger. I can't say that I enjoyed how it ended. I'm very much looking forward to one of the characters journeys.

I’m going to brutally honest for a second: when I first saw this novel, I had zero interest in reading it. The main reason why is because it’s a re-telling of 1001 Arabian Nights, a story I’m not familiar with in the slightest. I generally love retellings, but since I didn’t know the back story of this one, I felt like I wouldn’t be getting the most I could out of the book. The second reason is much more shallow; I could tell by the summary that I was going to have some issues with pronouncing and remembering the character’s names, which does not bode well for my memory. The third is that I was leery of the summary – for some reason it wasn’t calling to me at all. But then everyone and their brother started reading this book, and I went against my better judgment and started it. It was actually due back at the library the day I began, and I ended up keeping it for an extra couple days because I wanted to finish it.

I’m so glad I decided to read this, because in truth it surprised me a great deal. I admit, I had a hard time getting into it at first, mostly due to the pronunciation issues. It was only after I was about a quarter of the way through that I became hooked. And while it took me a while to get there, once I did, it was impossible to put it down. For a debut novel, the writing in The Wrath & the Dawn is simply gorgeously put together. The descriptions of the desert and the palace and the finery were so intricate, and I felt as though I was there myself. Even if the plot was moving a little slowly, I always had the writing to fall back on. It’s not that it’s slow-paced, but I think it’s more character driven than anything. Shahrzad does a lot of roaming about the palace and thinking to herself, so honestly if you don’t like the characters, you won’t like this book. Thankfully, I didn’t have that issue.

I really liked Shahrzad. She was bold, curious and is able to mesmerize the stoic boy-king who for unknown reasons murders all his wives the day after they’re married. I’m not saying she’s prefect, she definitely makes mistakes (like letting pretty much everyone see how good she is at archery when she’s plotting murder), but even so she was enormously charismatic. Her handmaid, Despina, was also good for a laugh. I enjoyed their friendship throughout the story, and their incessant bickering. Khalid – Shahrzad’s new husband – remained an enigma for the majority of the book. To be honest, I didn’t really buy off on their relationship in the beginning. It just didn’t seem like they spent enough time together for her to be any different from his other brides. Putting that grievance behind me, I loved when they were together; they had this quiet chemistry that was kind of beautiful. It was pretty annoying, because I wanted them to be with each other, but of course I couldn’t condone their relationship what with the continuous murder thing. Shahrzad admittedly wasn’t the best at keeping on her initial course of killing the king; she was far too busy being enchanted by him. This bothered me, of course, but perhaps not to the degree it normally would. I have no idea why. Their relationship just felt so passionate, and the hopeless romantic in me cheered for them.

There is a sort-of love triangle in the book, but again, it didn’t annoy me too much. Mostly because I felt that the main character had fallen out of love with one and in it with the other. As of right now, there’s not much competition between the two, but I could be wrong. The triangle could rear its ugly head in the sequel, but I pray that aspect of the story is downplayed. I don’t really mind Tariq’s affection for Shahrzad, just as long as she doesn’t return it. As the plot moved along, hints are dropped here and there about why Khalid has killed his wives (view spoiler), and I was eager to finally get the whole story towards the end of the book. The ending was pretty satisfactory, although the cliffhanger was evil. Maybe if I was familiar with the original story, I would have already known about the plot twist, but I’m not sure. Honestly The Wrath & the Dawn shocked me in the best possible way, and I will wait many dawns for the sequel, The Rose & the Dagger.

4.5 stars

Well written and tasteful. My only complaint is that absolutely nothing gets resolved during this book. Would be nice to have a little resolution before the next book. Otherwise the characters were interesting and the plot development was good.

Let me just start by saying that this book was perfection. It was beautiful and wonderful and I don’t honestly have much to say otherwise, if anything at all really. So I’m just throwing that out there. This is now one of my all-time favorite books and I will now forever and always be a Renée Ahdieh fangirl. No shame.

Now that we have that out of the way, let’s talk about why this book is so wonderful. This is a retelling of the classic story One Thousand and One Nights. There has been a huge influx of retellings being published and becoming popular in the last year or so and I love it. I love retellings because they take the classic original stories, stories that have been shared and adored throughout the years, and make them new, make them something different and unique. And they give you perspective you wouldn’t have otherwise had. And with One Thousand and One Nights, I’m going to be honest…I don’t know much about the original story. And by that I mean I know almost absolutely nothing about the original story. Just that it takes place in an Arabic country and has to do with story-telling. But now I want to know the story. I want to read it and study it, because this book has given me a real appreciation for it.

Sidenote: I now also have a strong desire to watch Aladdin.

Sidenote to my sidenote: This is not a retelling of Aladdin. Different stories, similar cultures.

Going along with that, I think my favorite thing about this book was the culture present. It was rich in language and food and description and tradition. So much so that I not only wanted to be there, but I felt like I was there. It’s not just some little facts about the culture spread throughout the book to make it present. The culture is interwoven throughout its pages, throughout its characters, throughout its dialogue, throughout everything.

The writing is so beautiful. Seriously, there’s a line you could highlight or quote on every page without exception. And it never seemed like too much. It was just perfect and beautiful and just right. Here are some of the quotes I wrote down because I just loved them so:

“‘I understand your points. All of them. Now I need you to understand mine. I know there are other women in the world. I know it’s possible for me to find a measure of happiness with another girl. Given time, I suppose anything may happen…But understand this: no matter how many perfect young women you put in my path, there is only one Shahrzad.'”

“For the wonder of a first love can never be matched.”

“I beseech you, my star…please see past the darkness.”

“‘You have a beautiful laugh. Like the promise of tomorrow.’ He said it gently, with the poise of an afterthought.”

“With each word, he broke last every barrier, every wall. And Shahrzad’s will fought him, screamed a silent scream, while her heart welcomed the intrusion as a songbird welcomes the dawn.
As the dying find grace in an answered prayer.”

“Those eyes, with their unpredictable onslaught of colors, flashing blue one instant and green the next, only to paint his world gold with the bright sound of her laughter.” [Oh my gosh, so beautiful]

“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.”

“Rain is merely one element of a story–generally a hint of things to come.”

And these weren’t even all of them! The language and diction that Ahdieh chose to use were just utter perfection. Poetic and beautiful and graceful all wrapped into one.

The characters were also rich and complex, nothing stereotypical about them. Shahrzad, or Shazi, is a stubborn woman, willing to do anything to stand up for what she believes in. And I love her. She’s so sassy yet loving, snarky yet kind. My favorite type of person. And yes, she’s stubborn. She holds on to her beliefs like nothing else…but once she gets past those initial prejudices and beliefs, she is able to love deeply.

And Khalid, the main character and king…he’s so complex. He’s like a puzzle that you’re trying to figure out the entire time. You want to give up because it seems too hard, it seems like some of the pieces will never fit…but you don’t and once all the pieces click together, you have something truly beautiful. That’s Khalid. And though I don’t think I’ve gotten the full story about him (hello, sequel), I feel like I understand him on a deeper level.

That’s the one thing that threw me off: I didn’t know it was a series. For some reason when I heard about it for the first few times, I just assumed it was a standalone and that thought stayed in my mind. So when I got close to the end I was freaking out wondering how everything was going to conclude nicely…and then it didn’t. Because The Rose and the Dagger comes out next year. A SEQUEL. I freaked out because I wanted to read more, wanted more of Ahdieh’s writing and more of Shazi and Khalid’s story. BUT I DON’T WANT TO WAIT. I want to read it now and sdjisoajdsiaodjsiaomdsaodajso. That’s how I feel about that.

READ THIS BOOK. The Wrath and the Dawn is glorious and you won’t regret it, 100% cash-back guarantee. So read it, love it, live it. And the come tell me how you felt about it because I want to know.

This story is about khalid, the caliph of Khorasan, who takes a new bride every day just to kill her at sunrise. Shahrzad’s friend, Shiva, became one of the caliph’s wife and his victim, so Shazi volunteered to be the new bride with the only purpose to kill Khalid. It turns out that the caliph isn’t so bad and Shahrzad begin to fall for him.

Shahrzad is a young woman, very impressive; she’s strong and doesn’t hesitate to speak to the Caliph as his wife. She knows how to use a bow and is very angry with Khalid. I like her a lot, she’s not naïve like a lot of girl, she doesn’t enerves me either. I like the way she took her life in her own end. She’s angry but she wants to know the reason behind all these victims. I found her very mature and I want to know what will happen to her next.

Khalid is a good Caliph, he’s kind and he has his own reason to kill his wife. He doesn’t do it because he’s evil, not at all and he suffers a lot. Shazi is the only one to break his barrier. I love him, he’s dangerous, jealous, and strong and he can kill a man easily. It’s hard for him to keep secret from Shazi. She will have a lot of work to find them.

Tariq is Shazi’s friend and boyfriend; he doesn’t understand why she volunteered and want to save her at all cost.

Jalal is Khalid’s cousin; he knows the secret and wants to help Khalid. He likes Shazi and helps her to understand his cousin’s too. I like him because he’s so sweet and charming, he’s not like the other guy, he wants to protect Khalid and be his friend.

Despina is Shazi’s handmaiden, she’s very nice and I like her too, she knows very little but she’s a good person.

This story is just amazing, I’m in love with all the characters, they are strong, confident and they suffer for many different reasons. The interaction between them all is very intense.

Renée Ahdieh described fantastically the feeling of the character, you can’t read this book and don’t love them, you’re crying with Shazi and you’re wishing to could hug Khalid and help him. She created a good story inspired from A thousand and One nights and I’m impatient to read the second book because the end is just awful.

I recommend this book to all the people who love retelling and great fantasy story.

The people of Khorasan live in fear of their caliph, Khalid, a young ruler who marries a new girl every day. And every morning the new bride is found dead. Shahrzad is determined to put an end to the caliph’s reign of terror by ending his life in retribution for the lives he’s taken, including her best friend’s. As Khalid’s newest bride, Sharhzad knows her life will be forfeit by morning, but she is willing to do anything to survive the night and slay the monster. What Sharhzad did not expect was to find a troubled young man behind the caliph’s stone façade, one who is hiding a dark secret that may change everything.

Renée Ahdieh’s The Wrath and the Dawn is an enchanting and rich retelling of A Thousand and One Nights. Beautifully written and poignantly told, this debut novel is sure to win the hearts of its readers. Sharhzad is outspoken and strong-willed; her untamed opinions and dismissive attitude toward the caliph borders on recklessness, yet it is these qualities that make her a force to be reckoned with. I was immediately drawn to her and her quest to take down the murderous king. Khalid was a bit harder to feel invested in as he remains a mystery not only to Sharhzad but also to the readers. But like the protagonist, once I finally caught a glimpse of the real Khalid, I was intrigued and had to know more. Their relationship is a mixture of ups and downs, which left me simultaneously exhausted and wanting more.

Every character is a bit of a mystery in this novel, which will intrigue some readers and frustrate others. That being said, they are also complex, flawed, and worthy of further explorations. Despina, Sharhzad’s handmaiden, is a character you immediately want to be an ally for the protagonist, but you aren’t sure where her loyalties truly lie and whether trusting her is worth the risk. I’m hoping to learn more about Tariq, Sharhzad’s childhood sweetheart, who immediate takes action the moment he hears that Khalid has taken her as a wife. At times his actions grated on my nerves, but I believe he has a chance to grow as a character and I’m interested to see what choices he ends up making in the future.

Even though it took me a while to really get into The Wrath and the Dawn, once I reached the end I felt emotional drained and desperate for more. I had a few issues with the way the novel reveals its mysteries, but there’s no denying its emotional impact.

Wow! This book was something else. It was unique, the Arabic setting was simply stunning, the characters were all pretty amazing and the writing took my breath away. I absolutely loved it.

This story takes place in the land of Khorasan, where eighteen-year-old Khalid is the Caliph. He takes a new bride every night only to execute her in the morning. Until sixteen-year-old Shahrzad (a.k.a. Shazi) volunteers to be the next bride. What Khalid doesn't know is that Shazi wants revenge for killing her best friend Shiva, so she's determinded to stay alive and get her revenge on Khalid. Shazi tells Khalid stories night after night, managing to stay alive. As they both get to know each other more and more each day, Shazi realizes there is much more to Khalid than being the monster she believes he is.

Shahrzad was pretty much everything I wanted in a heroine. She was tough, daring and never let anyone walk over her (least of all Khalid!). She also had a delicate side to her and I couldn't help but admire her willfulness. She really was a strong female character, which I think is something we need more in YA.

Her relationship with Khalid was complicated to say the least. I absolutely loved the romance between them and how they both slowly fell for each other. Khalid was also a great character. He was mysterious and really intrigued me. I loved how he and Shazi kept challenging each other and how sometimes it was really a struggle to figure each other out. Shazi and Khalid's love for each other actually touched my heart so much. It was beautiful.

And then there was Tariq who also loved Shazi and decides to go after her when he finds out she has volunteered to be the Caliphs wife. I wouldn't say there's a love triangle, per se, because in my opinion Tariq wasn't all that much in the book, although I think in the next one he'll be more in it. But anyway, the romance revolved more about Shazi and Khalid, so for those who are afraid of yet another triangle... don't be! And FYI, I didn't care much for Tariq anyway.

There are a lot of side characters that I adored and would love to get to know more. Despina being one of them. She was also a pretty strong female presence in the book and I was such a fan of her and Shazi's conversations. They were always entertaning to say the least. Jalal was another favorite character of mine. And the thing I was really missing was interacting between him and Despina, but hey, there's always the sequel for that!

The end of the book was pretty devastating, to be honest. Those last chapters were so intense and action-packed that I wanted to both read faster and slow down to make it last longer. That is what makes a damn good book!

Overall, The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh was a passionate, exquisitely written and beautiful retelling of A Thousand and One Nights. In fact, it's one of my top favorite books I've read this year and I can't wait to get my hands on the sequel, coming out in May 2016. I need more of Shazi and Khalid, ASAP!

The hype for The Wrath and the Dawn took the YA book world by storm this year – and normally that kind of thing would scare me off. I mean, I almost held off on reading this for a while because of it, but then it became our book club pick. Boy am I glad I did not flake out this time. The Wrath and the Dawn is every bit as sumptuous and engrossing as everyone promised.

The Wrath and the Dawn is a retelling of A Thousand and One Nights – a folk tale I was not actually familiar with but grew to love. Khalid, the caliph of Khorasan, takes a new bride each night but has her executed by dawn. Shahrzad volunteers to be his next victim… hoping to break the trend and stop his treachery. She tells him folk tales at night but leaves him with a gaping cliffhanger each time so that she’ll live to see the morning. Now, it’s kind of like Beauty and the Beast with even more of a hate-to-love romantic transition. Shahrzad has very few kind thoughts about Khalid before she takes her place as his bride, but while figuring him out and plotting ways to bring him down, he worms his way into her heart.

It should be noted, though, that this is far from a sappy or iffy Stockholm Syndrome romance. Shahrzad is way too freaking fierce for that. Oh man, it’s been such a long time since I met a main character that filled me with such glee. Shahrzad is smart, brave, calculating, and oh so graceful. I was in awe of her strength and grace, and I completely understood how Khalid would be so fascinated and impressed by her (after his initial suspicion). And he’s so mysterious and powerful that the two make an absolute dream couple – a perfect match. Their chemistry was OFF THE CHARTS. Oh man. This is one of my top ships of the year for sure.

Obviously, there’s a explanation as to why Khalid has been killing off his brides. This brings magic and politics into the story. Khalid struggles to keep his country under control, as the citizens are growing ever more disgruntled about losing their daughters – rightfully so. The stakes are high. Shahrzad’s own former betrothed takes up arms to rebel against Khalid, and so she is torn even more between her head and her heart. Yeah, it’s a love triangle – but it’s a good one. I totally understood Shahrzad’s dilemma and believed her to feel love for both guys (in different ways), and much as I didn’t care for Tariq, I understood his intense need to “rescue” her. (But seriously, he can exit stage right in book 2, plzkthnxbai.)

This book is beautifully written and excellently paced. All throughout the story the intensity grows – the romance between Shazi and Khalid, the rebellion against his rule, the mysteries of his past. I got completely swept up in it and just couldn’t stop reading. It’s honestly hard to believe that this is a debut. It just hit all the right notes: writing, characters, romance, world building, pacing, and plot. I adored this book from start to finish. Except that ending. That kind of cliffhanger should just NOT BE ALLOWED. *pouts*

Summing Up:

Now, I’m keeping it short, for me, because if I continued writing any more, I would just devolve into shouting and flailing about how fabulous this book is. The Wrath and the Dawn is a brilliantly written, extremely engrossing, and seriously impressive debut by Renée Ahdieh. It’s a story about achingly beautiful romance and a woman who takes charge of a man to save her country. Shazi is an icon, and I am bowing down. Now gimme the next book.

Recommended To:

Everyone; fans of hate-to-love romance, Cruel Beauty, and A Court of Thorns and Roses in particular.

This story was inspired by A Thousand and One Nights, which I have never read, but from this book I would definitely want to check out. Renee is such an amazing story teller. Shahrzad was an amazing MC. She was brave, and snarky, and had a mouth on her that I loved. But her reactions and remarks were never over the top. She struggled hard to do what she thought was right by everyone in her life. Her best friend Shiva, her childhood love Tariq, and her father Jahandar. Instead of listening to her heart she listens to her head. The image Shazi has of Khalid gets altered a little bit each day of her survival. Making her think there’s more to Khalid than anyone knows. From the very start of this book I wanted Shazi and Khalid to fall in love! But I love that it was a slow time coming. It wasn’t insta-love and it wasn’t oh you saved my life I love you now. It took time and trust between both Shazi and Khalid, to build an already unsteady relationship stronger. The one character I had really no love for was Tariq. Maybe just because he was trying to stand in the way of Shazi and Khalid but also because I felt like he never listened to her. He assumed he knew what was best and didn’t bother to find out how she felt. He made comments about how Khalid only treated Shazi as an object but when I read it I felt it was Tariq who treated her as an object and Khalid who treated her as an equal. I felt more love between Khalid and Shazi then I did with her and Tariq. Definitely shipping Khalid and Shazi!

Despina! I love love loved Despina! I thought she was funny and bold and brave and I liked her firey attitude! She definitely wasn’t afraid to stand up to Shazi and she definitely called her out on some of her sh*it. I honestly thought both Shazi and Despina were the greatest characters. But sometimes the side characters are just so much better than the MC. I thought every character was really well written and the characters were well developed.

For me this book started off pretty slow. Like I said before it is an amazing book, so it was surprising that it took me awhile to get into it, but when it got going I just couldn’t put it down. It’s a story rife with mystery and intrigue, and will keep you turning the pages. It’s also filled with some amazingly insightful quotes. These are taken from the ARC so they may be different in the finished book, but I wanted to share some of these quotes with you guys.

“Musa-effendi… I feel certain you should not hold yourself responsible for anything that transpired, not that night or any of the nights after. I am young, and, therefore, I know my words only carry a certain weight with the world, but I do know enough to realize you cannot control the actions of others. You can only control what you do with yourself afterwards.” -Shahrzad, (pg. 137)

“Like cool water sliding down her parched throat. Like the promise of all her tomorrows in a single sigh.” -Shahrzad (pg. 167)

“Strong enough to take on the world with our bare hands, yet we permit ridiculous boys to make fools of us.” -Shahrzad (pg. 208)

“I suspect she will be life air. Like knowing how to breathe.” –Shahrzad (pg. 224)

The ending was just uhhh what… I don’t even know how to react to that ending. I just need the next book right now and I’m not sure if I can wait any longer for the sequel. Overall I seriously seriously recommend buying this book, it was that good! You are going to want it on your shelves!

The Wrath and the Dawn is a mesmerizing retelling of Arabian Nights.Renee Ahdieh's storytelling instantly captivated me with her beautiful writing and rich plot.

Reasons to Read:

1. Life-like characters:

We know that humans are flawed, and the characters in The Wrath and the Dawn are no exception to this. But there is a fine line to writing flawed characters, because the reader still needs to be able to tolerate their flaws so as not to be terribly frustrated with the characters. All of the characters in this book have such distinct, strong personalities that this feels like a real story set in a real world, and really helps to develop the plot.

2. Steady, gradual development:

The book has a slower pace than other action-packed stories, but this works well because it allows the reader to see the extensive development which takes place. Khalid and Shahrzad have a complicated relationship (to say the least...) and it takes time for their feelings towards each other to change. And that, in turn, also propels the story in a new direction. I think this is also partially because Shahrzad has to practice patience with her plan, but as time goes on, she starts to uncover more secrets and the truth behind them.

3. Captivating writing:

Enough cannot be said for Renee Ahdieh's style of writing. I fell in love with it right away. She gives Shahrzad a strong voice and personality, and I loved reading about clever, brave, and risk-taking Shazi. She is deeply loyal, and yet so much of her personality was expressed with Renee's subtle writing. Renee somehow manages to describe both immensely painful scenes and very sexy ones. And most incredibly, the writing creates this mysterious and mystical ambiance which perfectly sets the mood for The Wrath and the Dawn.

Khalid is particularly interesting to me, because it's rare to see a YA character with so much power. It isn't often that it is shown quite as explicitly nor that as much thought is given to the inner turmoil of such a powerful character.

And it's interesting to see how the story seems to clash with itself; I spent most of the book changing my mind about who is the true heroine (or hero) and who is the true villain. There is so much to this story, that I can't even begin to touch on every aspect in one review. It truly is the type of book which you need to experience for yourself in its entirety.

ARC received from Penguin Canada for review; no other compensation was received.

I read 1001 Arabian Nights a long time ago, but I remember that the Caliph killed his first wife for infidelity, and decided to kill his wives so they would not have the chance to be unfaithful to him. Scherazade (a) was a volunteer and (b) thought she could save her life by telling a story, and stopping at a high point. The Caliph would put off killing her just to find out what happened next.

In “The Wrath and the Dawn,” eighteen year old Caliph Khalid’s first wife was not unfaithful – but his mother had been, and the previous Caliph killed her and raged about unfaithful women. So why is Caliph Khalid slaughtering a woman every dawn? The prologue tells of a curse threatening to destroy the entire caliphate, men women and children – but not who set it. The Caliph is not happy about the situation, but doesn’t know what else to do.

Shahrzad is a volunteer, who plans to use her storytelling gift to live through the night. Why does she volunteer? One of the women the Caliph killed was her favorite sister, and she wants revenge. She’s not quite sure how she’ll manage it, or that she’ll even live through the night… but she volunteers. Sharzahd tells only two stories before the Caliph falls in love with her beauty and strength of character. And – Sharzahd falls in love with him, too. Cue the angst as she remembers her dead sister, and tries not to fall in love after all.

Cue more angst when Sharzahd’s cousin and former boyfriend – current boyfriend, even though she’s now a married woman?’ – comes to the palace to meet the new Calipha. He wants to rescue her from the Monster Caliph, to help her avenge the dead sister, and maybe remind her what her true goal is. He is horrified to find her in love – maybe it’s a trick, maybe a spell, maybe she’s a traitor to the family?

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: A gorgeous high fantasy that will leave you begging for the next book. With its steamy romance, engaging characters, and suspenseful plot, it is sure to be a huge hit with all young adult fans!

Opening Sentence: It would not be a welcome dawn.

The Review:

Sixteen-year-old Shahrzad has just volunteered to go to her death. Khalid is the Caliph of Khorasan and he takes a new bride every night. In the morning the girl is then executed. This has been going on for months and many young girls have died. One of his murdered brides was Shiva, Shazi’s best friend. To revenge her friend Shazi, she has devised a plan to bring down the murderous king, and it starts with her volunteering to be his next wife. Remarkably, her plan seems to be working. She survives not only the first night, but many after that as well. As she gets to know the Caliph she soon realizes that he is not the monster she thought, and she finds herself falling in love with him. Shazi is determined to figure out the reason behind the deaths of all the girls that came before her, and hopefully she can stop it from happening to anyone else!

I have always been drawn to strong female characters in books. The ones that know how to take care of themselves, and don’t take crap from anyone. Shazi definitely fits into this mold. She is a feisty girl that has tons of wit and intelligence. It is obvious she will go to great lengths for the people she cares about, she is putting her life in grave danger to avenge her best friend. She has so many amazing qualities, but she also has her faults as well. She tends to like things done her way, and at times she makes some really rash decisions that lead to serious consequences. But she takes everything in stride and never gives up no matter how difficult her situation becomes. I honestly adore her character and can’t wait to read more of her story.

Khalid is a very interesting character. He is extremely mysterious and at first he comes across as a cold-hearted man that cares for no one. But as the story progresses and you learn about his sad past, it’s hard not to fall head over heels for him. It turns out he is a very caring person and he has this charm about him that is hard to resist. His relationship with Shazi is explosive, sexy, and tender. I loved watching them fall in love and try to figure each other out. Khalid is a great dynamic character and I am really intrigued to see what happens with him next.

As you can tell I loved Khalid, but I will admit that I am torn when it comes to the two boys. Tariq and Shazi grew up together and they have a lot of history. I have always been a sucker for best friend romances and theirs is pretty adorable. Tariq is so loyal to Shazi and would do anything to keep her safe. That kind of commitment is hard to come by and the fact that he is gorgeous, charming, and has a great body doesn’t hurt either. He just seems like the full package and that has made it really hard for me to pick a team. So as of right now I am going to call a truce between the two and hopefully I will be persuaded to pick one or the other in the sequel.

The Wrath and the Dawn is a gorgeous mystical retelling of A Thousand and One Nights. The beginning did start a little slow for me, but once things picked up I was hooked. I adored the Arabian setting and it seems to be a theme this year in YA. So far this is the only one I have read, but trust me when I say it is a book you need to read. The characters are very interesting and easy to connect with. The plot was very intriguing and keeps you guessing until the very end. The romance was done beautifully and developed perfectly. It had some moments that will pull at your heart strings, but there was also great humor that helped to lighten the mood. If you can’t tell I really enjoyed this story. It was so well rounded and contained all of the things that make a book wonderful. Yes, there were a few times the story seemed to drag and I got frustrated with the characters sometimes, but in the end this was an amazing read. I would highly recommend it to anyone that is looking for an engrossing young adult fantasy filled with epic romance, loveable characters, and a suspenseful plot!

Notable Scene:

A guard reached for her arm. When his hand closed around her wrist, Shahrzad saw the caliph’s features tighten. She yanked her arm from the guard’s grasp, as though it were a flame held too near her flesh.

“Don’t touch me!” she yelled.

When another guard seized her shoulder, she slapped his hand out of the way.

“Are you deaf? How dare you touch me? Do you know who I am?” A note of panic entered her voice.

Not knowing what else to do, she locked upon her enemy.

The tiger-eyes were … torn.

Wary.

And then?

Calm.

“General al-Khoury?”

“Yes, sayyidi.”

“I’d like to introduce you to the Mountain of Adamant.”

The shahrban stared back and forth between the caliph and Shahrzad.

“But, sayyidi … I don’t understand. You cannot—“

The caliph swiveled to face the shahrban. “You’re right, General. You do not understand. And you may never understand. Regardless, I’d like to introduce you to the Mountain of Adamant …”

The caliph glanced back at Shahrzad, a ghost of a smile playing across his lips.

“My queen.”

FTC Advisory: I purchased my own copy of The Wrath and the Dawn. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.

First of all, I don't know if I can fully articulate what I felt for this book! It was so completely amazing! What finally got me to pick this book up was a tweet I saw that compared it to Beauty and the Beast. That is my all time favorite movie so of course I had to pick it up after that! :) So the next time I was in a bookstore I made my boyfriend buy it for me. Best decision ever!!

I loved Shahrzad and Khalid. I loved how strong and brave Shazi was. She volunteered to be the bride of a man who was almost certainly going to kill her in order to avenge the death of her best friend and also the deaths of the countless other girls who were murdered. She managed to stay alive day after day and survive a few close calls. But she must have been doing something right because Khalid was smitten with her and wanted her alive. Which, you'd think, would make her goal of killing him easier.

Khalid.. I just loved him. I kinda felt like a dirtbag for liking him at first because you know, he's a cold, seemingly heartless killer. So that's not really a turn on, ya know? But I liked how he became so protective of her. He really grew to care for her, despite the circumstances, and wanted to stop all the senseless killing, no matter what it meant for him. I really wanted a Khalid of my own after reading this book. ;)

I loved that this wasn't insta love that they had. Shahrzad really didn't like him at first and truly wanted him dead. And then she started to see that he wasn't the awful monster that she was expecting and slowly began to care for him. She was really conflicted in her feelings for him because, of course she was betraying her best friend by falling in love with her murderer! And because the only things that Khalid seemed to keep closer to him than her were his secrets. I wish you could have seen more of why he felt the way he did for her, but I don't care, I love their love!

I was also pleased that there was no love triangle in this book! I feel that there could have been, but I'm so happy there wasn't. I didn't care all that much for Tariq. Probably because I just wanted him and his unrequited love for Shahrzad to go away and let her and Khalid be cute and happy together. But in his defense, he doesn't know what's going on. He thinks that Shahrzad still loves him. He doesn't know what kinds of feelings she's developing. He just thinks she's there to take him out. Buuut I felt like he was kind of possessive (something that she didn't tolerate from Khalid when he tried it out). Like just because they had been in love since they were kids, that doesn't entitle him to just blow into the palace with his screaming bird and whisk her away into the sunset on his fancy sounding horse without giving her any say in the matter. Not gonna fly, my friend.

As for other important characters, I don't think I liked Shahrzad's father, Jahandar.. He came off as kind of a creep to me and I think he's up to some shady business.

Other things I liked about this book:
Jalal and his loyalty to Khalid. I think I love anyone titled as Captain of the Guard.
Despina and her attitude.
The Rajput. He really grew on me as Shahrzad grew on him!
The setting! I've never read anything set in the middle east before! And everything just sounds like it was probably so lovely!
THE FEELINGS THE END OF THIS BOOK GAVE ME!!!!!

Things that I can think of that I disliked:
At the very beginning, I had a bit of a problem keeping characters straight, but I quickly got it figured out and I know who is who now.
THE FEELINGS THE END OF THIS BOOK GAVE ME!!!!! What has this book done to my feelings?!
The next book isn't out yet!!!!

Things I wish to see in the next one:
More stuff on the magic aspect.
KHALID AND SHAHRZAD LOVEY DOVEY MOMENTS!
Jalal and Despina being a thing!

If you like Beauty and the Beast, I think you'll definitely like this one! I would HIGHLY recommend this book, it was so very good! I can't wait for the next book!

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

‘It did not matter that this world was far from as simple as she might have thought.
And it absolutely did not matter that her heart was… mis-behaving.
She had come to the palace with a clear purpose.
The Caliph of Horasan had to die.’

Shahrzad, sixteen years old, has been battling with her grief since her best friend was murdered by her husband, Khalid Ibn al-Rashid, Caliph of Khorasan. For reasons unknown, he takes a bride each night only to have her killed in the morning. When Shahrzad actually volunteers to marry him, her family and childhood sweetheart, Tariq, are devastated. To everyone’s surprise, she survives the dawn and begins to put her plan into action: to find the weakness of the Caliph of Khorasan that will help her to avenge her murdered best friend. She begins to realize though that his only weakness is Shahrzad herself.

Reading has been a bit of a struggle for me lately and I tentatively started this one not expecting to be able to stick with it. I also had some serious doubts that it would end up being something that lived up to the hype for me, especially after recently reading another super-hyped story that ended up being major disappointment for me. Imagine my surprise when I couldn’t stop flipping the pages, couldn’t stop wondering what was going to happen next, and couldn’t keep the ridiculous grin off my face watching all the emotions unfold. Oh man, the feels. They got me. For the most part, the story is told from the point of view of Shahrzad, however, we’re also given scenes through the eyes of Khalid and Tariq. All three points of view intertwine to form a most enthralling tale.

“As silver-tongued as a viper.” He laughed. “Tell me, my lady, do you ever miss a moment to strike?”
Shahrzad smiled, and it was brilliant and biting, all at once. “I fear that would be unwise, my lord. Especially in a den of snakes.”

I loved Shahrzad. She was wonderfully snarky and witty and courageous and bold. The addition in her story to being a prowess at the bow and arrow only sealed the deal to my love of her. I had my doubts at first that the story could pull off credibly Shahrzad falling in love with Khalid. I mean come on, she married her best friends murderer with the intent to kill thim herself. How possibly couldhat be turned around legitimately? Well, I’m happy to say that it was done extremely well and I was completely sold. The passion between those two… that’s where that perma-grin I mentioned comes into play.

‘Her lips were hers one moment. And then they were his. The taste of him on her tongue was like sunwarmed honey. Like cool water sliding down her parched throat. Like the promise of all her tomorrows in a single sigh. When she wound her fingers in his hair to draw her body against his, he stilled for breath, and she knew, as he knew, that they were lost.
Lost forever.
In this kiss.
This kiss that would change everything.’

This could have easily been insta-love, but instead it was a beautiful, slow and steady build up of honest emotion. It was a lovely thing to witness and I couldn’t tear my eyes away. Khalid even won me over at the same time. His pain and grief over what he felt he had to do, was his own personal suffering and it showed. I loved his own path to self-realization and how he became more confident in his roles and the decisions he had to make rather than sitting back and accepting his lot in life. I can’t wait to see how that continues in the next installment.

I had massive love for this book but there were a few aspects that could have made this better for me. First, I wanted to know more about Shahrzad’s family, especially her father, and there seems no doubt we’ll find out more in The Rose and the Dagger. The magical aspects of the novel were incredibly interesting and while I wished there was more of it, I appreciated the subtlety of it all. Second, Tariq’s character was a major low point and I disliked his point of view sections even if I can understand how necessary they were to see things from that aspect, to learn what all was being set in motion. Tariq is Shahrzad’s childhood sweeheart and while I get the whole “do whatever it takes to protect her” he got a bit manic about it, especially once he started realizing she was changing her mind about Khalid. He jumped to the conclusion that something was being done to her to make her change her typically immutable mind, which I get, but could have ultimately done without. Essentially I just wanted more kissy scenes. All the kissy scenes and all the swoons, please.

The Wrath and the Dawn is a wistful re-imagining of Arabian Nights with a forbidden romance that will leave you completely enchanted. I’m both eager and dreading the concluding story, The Rose and the Dagger, and desperately wishing for a satisfying ending that won’t leave my heart in tatters.

I don’t even know what to say. This book was… This book was incredible? Mind-boggling good? Fantastic? All of the above? Yes. Yes. Yes. And yes.

I was really scared going into this book. The hype was definitely up there and I was worried it was not going to live up to my expectations. I shouldn’t have been worried in any way, shape, or form. The Wrath and the Dawn can definitely hold its own.

The characters of this book are phenomenal! Sharhzad is the perfect blend of feisty, head-strong, awesome, and bold that I love in a YA female lead. She’s able to dish it out with the big boys and give some major third-degree burns while doing so. Basically, she just made me smile. Now Khalid, Khalid is another character I have no words for. If this were real life and he had done the things he’s done, I would hate him. Okay, hate is a strong word. I would loathe him. But this is not real life, this is fiction, and Khalid is a sexy beast. There. I said it. His tortured soul and strength of character just made my heart BOOM BOOM so fast.

The other characters are good too. I liked all of them, even the second part of the love triangle. However, even though I liked Tariq, I do NOT want him to end up with Shazi. It will not happen, Renee. Do you comprehend what I am saying right now? Please do.

Let’s move on from my mini-rant/plead, shall we?

The plot of this book deserves a very strong “A.” I never knew what was going to happen. Which is weird considering it’s supposed to be a retelling, but I’m not complaining. However, because this book is based off of One Thousand and One Nights story, I was expecting that element to continue throughout the story. Again, not complaining, just observing.

The magic of the world and the detail that went into each paragraph, line, and word just made this novel so beautiful. I wish I had time to read it again, but alas, I do not. The only complaint I have about Sharhzad’s story is that I was very confused when I started reading. The first 10 pages or so switch point of views so much and I was trying to get the names and places straight but it was all so confusing. I think that probably wasn’t the best way to start out a fantasy novel.

All in all, I don’t think I can recommend this amazing fantasy novel enough. It has everything a fantasy lover wants: magic, mystery, mayhem, and sexy-times. Believe me, you’ll want to read it, so just go pick it up already.

5/5 stars

**Note: I won a copy of this book from the publisher. This in no way affected my opinion/review.

I LOVED this book. I read a preview a few months before it was released and was definitely intrigued. I figured I would read it at some point after it was released, but wasn't in any particular rush. Then, I was perusing e-books available from my library and was shocked that this was one of them. I began reading it immediately. I stayed up until 2am to finish it (even though I had to teach a class the following morning), and don't regret it for a second.

This is a retelling of One Thousand and One Nights; which I have heard of, but have not read. I have to admit that I don't think this book was incredibly well written. HOWEVER, the storytelling was top notch. The world was also not as developed as it could have been overall. HOWEVER, the storytelling was top notch. I can forgive many shortcomings in a book or series, as long as the story is well developed and keeps me interested.

I wasn't sure whether or not this was a stand alone as I read it. Once I reached the end, I hoped there were more novels to come in the series, but before I rated it I needed to find out because that conclusion would have really pissed me off if there weren't more books coming. Fortunately, there are. And I cannot wait for however many of them there are going to be. I frequently will wait to pick up a series until all or nearly all of the books are out, otherwise I forgot to much in between books. I do NOT think that will be a problem here. These characters and there story are completely unforgettable.

This review has turned into me just rambling, but I am that affected by this book. I couldn't stop thinking about it all day. I don't know how to possibly start reading something else because I just want to continue with this series.

The story is about an 18-year-old Caliph who takes a new bride each night and has her executed at sunrise. This happens every day for over two months. One of these brides was the best friend of our main character, Shahrzad. Shahrzad volunteers to marry Khalid with the intention of getting revenge for her deceased friend and all of the other young girls who have died at the hands of this Caliph.

I will admit this book was not perfect. Beyond my issues with the writing, the perspective changes slowed down the pacing of the book at certain intervals. I understood why we were learning about so many characters and following each of their storylines for a bit, I just didn't think any of these secondary characters was developed as well as Shahrzad and Khalid were. Maybe they will be elaborated upon in books to come, but as far as this one went I didn't find them to be particularly interesting. Tariq in particular was incredibly melodramatic, to the point that I found him to be a bit silly at times. I do hope that this love triangle does not continue into the rest of the books, I found it to be an unnecessary little subplot.

Shahrzad, however, was an amazing character. She had so much depth, strength, and just the right amount of vulnerabiliy to make her appealing as a character. Her character was extremely well developed. I loved her stories. I thought the way we actually got to see her fall in love and realize she was falling in love against her will was very well done. Again, the storytelling at play in this book was fantastic.

Khalid was IMPOSSIBLE not to love the more we got to know about his past and his character. He and Shahrzad complement each other SO WELL. They are absolutely perfect for one another.

I really can't say more without giving SOMETHING away in this book. Which would be a real shame; I think the less you know going in, the better. It's such an amazing experience getting to know these characters and their story.

This was undoubtedly one of THE most hyped up books this year and I’m happy to say it lived up to its hype, for the most part. Ahdieh created a very interesting and intricate world and her characters were engaging and fierce. It was hard to follow at times because Ahdieh uses a lot of unfamiliar words and I was listening to it so I didn’t have the glossary on hand, but I still followed along for the most part. There were also a lot of characters introduced in this book and I often forgot who was who. The romance between Khalid and Sharzhad is the definition of a slow-build romance and if you like those kinds of things, you’ll love this book, as that’s pretty much the bulk of what it’s about.

Sharzhad was the star of the show. I loved her story-telling ability and her love for her family and friends. I found it funny that her plan to actually kill him wasn’t that well-thought-out, but she had her heart in it, so I’ll give her that. She also doesn’t have any particular skill set, except for being somewhat decent with a bow and arrow, so she’s not physically all that kickass, but she’s not so bad mentally and she does have a way with words. Something about her intrigued me and I liked her personality overall. I especially liked her interactions with Despina and Jalal and thought they added a bit of lightness to otherwise intense story.

Khalid was a hard character to warm up to. Yes, I could tell he was troubled by the burden he had to bear and he’s not as cold-hearted as he seems, but I didn’t fall for him in any way. I knew that the truth would inevitably be more complex and twisted that I thought, but he didn’t open up to Sharzhad in the way I was hoping. Considering that I expected Sharzhad to guard her walls a lot better than she did, it was surprising to see that the opposite happens here. And yet, I still don’t feel like I know Khalid all that well. Once again, we’re dealing with a character who chooses to keep a secret because they think the other person can’t handle it, and not only that, he’s worried how she’ll think of him after she discovers the truth. Sure, don’t leave it up to the other person to decide, just decide everything on your own. Pet peeve!

One thing that really bugged me was how incredibly long it took for the truth to come out. And when I say long, I’m not lying. We have to wait until the last few chapters of the book before we get anything real from this story. It isn’t until the very end before things truly unravel and even though I’ve come to expect that from books in general, it was pushed to the limit in this one. My limit, at least. There’s no action at all until the last couple of chapters and I guess it sets the scene for the book, but I didn’t appreciate that at all. Much of the book revolves around Khalid and Sharzhad and I get it. What starts out as indifference and hate, respectively, turns into a passionate love that rivals many, but still, I wanted more than just the romance. I honestly had to go back and re-listen to certain parts of the books, fearing I missed the punchline, thinking “he still hasn’t told her what the hell is going on yet?!”. I couldn’t comprehend how flippant Khalid was with the curse when it came to Sharzhad, yet so ruthless about it before her.

Despite my obvious reservations, it’s clear I still really liked it. Despite the lack of a truly progressive story and the magic and lore I’d expect from a Fantasy novel, the book captivated me. If I have to give Adhieh any credit, it’s her ability to create a romance with so much depth and characters so fascinating as to keep me interested in the book for so long. I’m curious to see what will become of this world considering Khalid’s choices and I’ll definitely be reading the second book to find out.

This book. My goodness. I only just finished it before sitting down to write this review and I am still trying to process everything. The Wrath and the Dawn is simply beautiful. Renee has a knack for sucking her readers in with beautiful descriptions and an enchanting romance.

When Shahrzad (Shazi) marries Khalid, the Caliph of Khorasan she doesn't expect to live the night. Each day Khalid takes a new bride, only to kill her at sunrise the following morning. Shahrzad's best friend Shiva, was killed by the boy king weeks earlier and to avenge her death Shazi offers herself up to be his next bride. She doesn't go into it blind though. She has a plan. Or had one. Shazi doesn't die the first sunrise as Khalid's wife. She lives. Shazi had managed to do something that none of the other girls have done. But eventually Shazi begins to fall in love with her friend's murderer, a boy with secrets tightly held.

Biggest thing I learned in this book? Don't mess with Shazi. She is fierce. Favorite quality to her? Her wittiness. Shazi was able to take a serious moment and insert a witty comment. It was a real joy to see what would come out of her mouth next. Shazi didn't go into her marriage with Khalid with out a plan, her plan was clear cut. Kill him. Things didn't go according to plan though. I loved getting to see her internal monologue and begging Shiva for forgiveness and promised to avenge her after realizing she had falling in love with Khalid. There isn't much to say about Khalid, he is really a troubled boy who wasn't ready to be a king. He didn't have the easiest life and has been punished horribly for things that were out of his control. The growth he goes through from page one until the end of the novel is amazing. I can't wait to see more of him in the next book.

The romance in this book is stunning. If I could have a romance like this in every book I would. It was slow burn. Not to the point of boredom, but enough to actually give it a realistic feel. Shazi and Khalid are two complete opposites that they balanced each other out. One had what the other needed.

I had no prior knowledge of A Thousand and One Nights when I went into The Wrath and the Dawn so I wasn't sure what I was getting into. I expected this book to be high fantasy, not a historical fiction set in the middle east. With that being said, Renee did a beautiful job at world building and developing the culture for her readers. (Do take advantage to the glossary at the back of the book. It will be a big help with a lot of the word meanings!) This is definitely a world I am excited to visit again with the book sequel.

Overall, I loved this book! It will be definitely something I will push on everyone who hasn't read it yet. The ending was a knife in the gut but I think I will be able to manage until next year for the sequel. Great part is: it is only a duology so the story won't get dragged out like it tends to happen in some series!

This book was one of my most anticipated reads for this year. I grabbed the audio as soon as I could and dove into the read. It was incredible. I cannot put all my feelings and emotions for this book into words. It took me in, made me fall in love, then tore my heart out of my chest. It was more than I had hoped for and I am crushed but excited there is a book two. I need more and I need it now.

This is a retelling of 1001 Nights. A girl marries a man who is said to be a monster. He marries at night and kills his bride at dawn. The girl, Shazi, finds a way to stay alive. Night after night. Her true motive, not to stay alive but to seek revenge on the monster, her husband. He killed her best friend. In the time of planning and finding the time to avenge her friends death, she discovers truths, uncovers secrets, and falls in love with the monster.

I have never read 1001 nights, I didn't even know what it was about. I did know that Aladdin comes from the story but that's about it. This story intrigued me. I did look up info about the original before
I started the book just out of curiosity and I thought it sounded marvelous and it was.

I still didn't know much about when I started the story and it was so much more than I anticipated. It was very engrossing, very romantic, very dark, very addicting. Once I started the read I couldn't stop. I was in for the long haul and I was immersed inside this world. I forgot about everything around me and just ventured. I loved everything! I adored the characters, I was amazed by the writing, and I was living the story. Not a thing I would change....except for the ending..... but I will touch on that later.

The writing, for sure, is what made this story for me. It was beautiful. It was well done. Tons of character development. The world was vivid. So vivid. I really thought I was living in this world while I read it. Its been way too long since a book totally pulled me in like this,

All the characters had depth.... so many levels and it took the entire book to get through all those layers. Which I enjoyed. It was page after page of really getting to know these characters. Learning their flaws, desires, secrets, strengths. I couldn't get enough. Each character dark and lovely. I couldn't hate any of them. Just lots of love.

Shazi was a strong character, bent on revenge. She wouldn't allow anyone or anything to get in her way. Or so she thought. The problem was.... Shazi had a heart. She loved fiercely. So that fierceness let her to her revenge but it also held her back and following through. I really loved her. She was smart and lovely and colorful.

Khalid... oh what to say about Khalid. So I knew from the start as it was obvious there were reasons behind the death. Now I didn't fully understand this reason or how he could do it but I knew that would come in time. The entire time from the beginning I couldn't hate him. His character drew me in and intrigued me. He was charming, he was withdrawn, he was mysterious, he was confident, I just liked him and as the story continued and Shazi's love became, mine did too. I fell for him. I sure did.

The romance, yes there was romance. A slow burning passionate but sweet, intense, awe inspiring romance. I can't explain the romance because it just needs to be felt. It was good, real good, great, awesome, life stopping goodness.

The ending was the only downfall for me. It was fast and non ending and heartbreaking and uggg... I just wanted to scream and throw the book except I was listening to it and didn't want to throw my mp3.

One more thing... the narrator rocked. I never really know what to say about the narrator except that with her and the writing, the book truly came to life for me. In fact once it was over I really didn't know what to do with my life for days... weeks even. It was hard and it its a series and it will be a while before the next one comes out. so sad!

A breathtaking beautifully written dark and tempting read.

The Wrath and the Dawn is a retelling of One Thousand and One Nights. Khalid, the Caliph (or king) marries a new bride each night and then has her put to death each dawn. One of these unfortunate brides is Shahrzad’s friend and so she volunteers herself as a bride with the intention of killing the caliph and avenging her murdered friend. I found this book a little bit hard to connect with at first but after a few chapters I was hooked and it just kept getting better.

Shazi (Shahrzad) is a strong-willed and impetuous and goes in with a pretty flimsy plan, in my opinion. She hopes to stay her execution by telling the caliph a story but leaving it unfinished so that he will want to come back the following night to continue it. She assumes that the caliph is a heartless monster who just enjoys using girls and then killing them. She spares no thought for why he might be doing these awful things, or if there might be some larger explanation. Her single-minded plan turned me off a little bit and I had a hard time connecting with her at the start. Shazi soon starts to realize that things are not just black and white, they are much more complicated than they first seem.

Khalid was also hard to connect with at the start and I think that parallels how Shazi felt about him. He’s built these walls around himself to protect the outside from the monster he believes himself to be. He holds everyone at arms length and keeps his secrets close, making it hard for Shazi, or anyone really, to develop any kind of a relationship with him. I really loved how Khalid’s personality is more quiet. He’s powerful but he doesn’t flaunt his power and he’s a man of few words. He communicates as much with his eyes and body language as he does with his words and I loved that. It’s nice to have a male protagonist that isn’t in your face with their ego, over the top with their professions of love, or a clone of every other male in the book.

As the story continues, Shazi and Khalid find themselves growing closer despite their situations. Their relationship felt very organic to me. There’s no insta-love and there’s nothing easy about the relationship. Shazi feels a huge amount of guilt about her growing feelings for Khalid. She’s betraying her original purpose for marrying Khalid and in turn betraying the memory of her murdered friend and her family. Khalid, on the other hand, feels like he’s betraying his people by falling for Shazi and is torn between his duty to his people as their king, and his own wants and needs. Their relationship is complex and understated and beautifully written. There are some swoon-worthy moments, but they are not over the top. The romance is very well done. Eventually, all secrets are revealed and that’s where things really got good. I was so happy that the author didn’t draw things out just for the sake of drama.

The writing is really beautiful and flows nicely – as you would expect of a story about a story. The descriptions and world-building are wonderful. The descriptions of the clothing, the architecture, the climate, the room decor – it all makes this book very atmospheric and brings the reader there.

Overall, I loved this debut and can’t wait for the second book in the series. Despite a somewhat slow start, the great romance, strong characters, a great supporting cast, beautiful writing and detailed world-building make for a fantastic start to this series.

Note: I received this book for free from Penguin's First to Read program in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Sensual, swoony, sentimental, THE WRATH AND THE DAWN is an exotic treat.

But it didn’t start off that way for me.

When my fellow blogging friends raved about Renée Ahdieh’s debut, I eagerly picked up the copy I received in late October. I read a chapter, then two, and I have to admit, it was very slow. I didn’t much feel like continuing.

So after a month of leaving it on my nightstand, bright and beautiful pink cover staring at me every night, I picked it up again. And this time, it was different. By the time I hit page fifty (or so), the book I was reluctant to keep reading became the book I couldn’t stop reading.

It was good. So utterly good.

The writing is gorgeous. Poetic, embellished, exquisite.

Shahrzad (on a side note, I find it odd her name is Persian when many of the other character names are Arabic) is fiery and outspoken, yet at the same time, wise. Maybe a little too wise for her age of sixteen, though I didn’t really mind. Khalid, our eighteen-year-old king, is the brooding type. Very quiet, very reserved. The other characters were a great bunch, too. Some of them adding the right touch of humor to the otherwise morose story. I particularly loved Despina and Jalal and might have laughed out loud more than once in my journey through Renée’s debut.

But fleshed-out characters would be pointless without an equally great plot to go with it. Luckily for us, THE WRATH AND THE DAWN delivers.

At it’s heart, THE WRATH AND THE DAWN is a love story. One that spins and spins and stabs and soothes. It’s a beautiful one, yet full of pain. The characters lead the story forward, and draw it to a close in the end, one that might leave you shattered, yet hopeful.

Like I said before, once I really got into THE WRATH AND THE DAWN, I couldn’t stop reading it. I couldn’t stop envisioning the desert, the amazing food, the clothing, the characters. While I was enjoying the story from chapters before, it was once I had reached the souk scene, and then the alley scene (dreamy sigh), that I really, truly fell in love with the book.

THE WRATH AND THE DAWN doesn’t take place in your typical fantasy setting, and while I’m not familiar with the classic Arabian Nights, I’m all the more excited to pick it up myself. I was more than curious to uncover the reason behind the king’s killings, and when the news finally slipped, I was more than pleased to have been kept waiting. There’s nothing worse than a build-up to a boring reveal!

Renée dropped little tidbits that I can’t wait to see explained and used in the next book (hopefully). From a mysterious attack to a magical rug, and of course, a continuation in Shahrzad’s story, I am very, very excited for the sequel.

I’ll end my review with this: I can’t do Renée Ahdieh’s debut, THE WRATH AND THE DAWN justice with a few paragraphs. It’s an incredible debut filled with gorgeous writing, and if you can get past the slow beginning, you will be greatly rewarded. Trust me.

*Actual rating, 4.5 stars. This review was originally posted on IceyBooks*

"One hundred lives for the one you took. One life to one dawn. Should you fail but a single morn, I shall take from you your dreams. I shall take from you your city. And I shall take from you these lives, a thousandfold."

***

"All our lives are forfeit. It it just a matter of when."

Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, takes a new bride each night. Every bride is executed with the dawn. The Caliph offers no explanations, making it easy for his people to believe he is a cold-hearted monster.

Shahrzad shocks everyone she cares about when she volunteers to marry the Caliph, rendering her life forfeit. But Shahrzad plans to survive the dawn. In fact she plans to live long enough to exact revenge on the Caliph for the murder of her best friend and so many other girls.

The longer she survives in the palace, the more Shahrzad realizes the boy-king is hiding something behind his cold exterior and his closely guarded secrets. Shahrzad volunteered to marry Khalid out of hatred but as she grows closer to to him, it is soon obvious that love is what keeps her in the palace.

Separately Shahrzad and Khalid are both formidable. United together, they may have the strength to save their country and each other in The Wrath and the Dawn (2015) by Renee Ahdieh.

The Wrath and the Dawn is Ahdieh's first novel. It is also the first book in a series which will continue with The Rose and the Dagger (expected publication 2016).

In this loose retelling of A Thousand and One Nights, Ahdieh transcends her source material to create a story that is both original and captivating. Instead of focusing on the stories told each evening, The Wrath and the Dawn expertly expands the framing story found within A Thousand and One Nights to imagine a world where a king executes countless brides and one girl is bold enough to think she can stop him.

As much as The Wrath and the Dawn is a romance of the slow burn variety, it is also very much a story of equals. Shazi and Khalid are perfectly matched protagonists with obvious magnetism even as they warily question each other's intentions. They are also both incredibly strong characters, often to the point of being arrogant or foolhardy.

The way Shazi and Khalid interact highlights how the best partnerships, the strongest relationships, stem from mutual respect as well as understanding. The push and pull between these two also serves to underscore how nothing is clear-cut in this story where often there are no "good" choices--only necessary ones.

The Wrath and the Dawn is a debut filled with writing that brings the world of Khorasan vividly to life. Elements of fantasy, romance and historical fiction all come together here to create a lush, expansive story with complex characters to match. Highly recommended.

Possible Pairings: Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken, The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson, Fire by Kristin Cashore, Vessel by Sarah Beth Durst, Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George, Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge, A Thousand Nights by E. K. Johnston, Dreamhunter by Elizabeth Knox, Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers, Winterspell by Claire Legrand, Clariel by Garth Nix, The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski, A Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab, The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner

The first words that come to mind when I think of this book is mesmerizing. Simply mesmerizing. This captivating book beguiles and enchants from page one and leaves you in a painful withdrawal period after you finish.

Each day the Caliph of Khorasan weds a new girl and then at dawn she is executed with a silk cord wrapped tightly around her neck. Shahrzad's best friend Shiva succumbs to this fate, and in revenge Shahrzad offers herself as the next bride. She aims to kill the Caliph and avenge her friend's death. She tells stories to the Caliph and manages an impossible feat, she lives to see the next day. And the next. And the next. Slowly she starts to fall in love with the Caliph, Khalid, and realizes that everything is not as it seems and everything she thought might be completely wrong.

I love the setting of this book above all. It's a Middle Eastern/Arabian flair that's wonderfully depicted. Renee incorporates such rich culture and customs into her book from the food to the decorum, the speech to the costume, the tales to the geography. She supplies us with new words and a wonderful glossary. She gives savory descriptions of food. This book is big on sensory details.

Shahrzad (Shazi) is witty and smart and bold. I love her character and the bravery she possesses. Unlike most protagonists, Shazi is not indecisive. She's clear minded and makes quick decisions. She's not one to daly. Khalid is mysterious and elusive. He's thoughtful and caring behind his icy facade. Jalal and Despina are wonderful comic relief, the rest of the cast, although small, all have redeeming qualities.

The romance in this book was beautiful. It developed so slowly and their love transcends the clouds. Shazi and Khalid have such a unique relationship. It's so strong and beautiful, I was rooting for them the whole time. Khalid had a bleak, loveless childhood and Shazi is the perfect person to cheer him up and love him. Khalid checks Shazi's brash and reckless nature. They're like puzzle pieces, they just fit together so well! They are definitely one of my top OTPs. They have amazing chemistry, and their scenes together make me smile all the time. Their relationship reminds me of fire and ice. The romance is intoxicating and smoldering and everything you could possibly want.

The plot is unique and great. Although there's not much action, there are definitely lots of seeds planted in this novel that will blossom into bigger issues to come. The romance and Khalid's secrets are the main focuses of this novel, yet big things are to come. The writing was wonderful, it matched the setting perfectly. The ending was fantastic yet heartbreaking. I need book 2!

Renee's debut is engaging and enchanting, I highly recommend this book!

THE WRATH AND THE DAWN was our selection for April to read together for our On the Same Page monthly read along. I have to admit… I was a bit intimidated by this book before I even began. I heard SO many amazing reviews and reactions for this book that I was already afraid the hype would get to me before I even started. And then I started the book. I’m not going to lie to you guys — the beginning was rough for me. As in, I probably would have DNFed it if I wasn’t reading with my best friends. Thankfully the great thing about being a part of this book blogging and reading community is that along with my BFFs, I had great support to encourage me to keep reading. See, when I had heard all of this hype, I hadn’t heard anyone who had struggled with the beginning so I was wondering if it was just me. Thankfully, we all read on and with reassurances from Alyssa and Amy (who were ahead of me) and pretty much everyone who saw my reading updates on Goodreads, I continued reading and they were all right. It got MUCH better.

I kind of had a hard time shaking off that rough start. I felt a bit dropped in the middle of an unfamiliar setting with a head-strong female lead. Head-strong and willful isn’t a bad thing but characters like Shazi do take some time for me to get to know sometimes. Once I know them, I’m usually all about the determination and ferocity, but I usually need to explore the setting and the plot (you know, make sure I should be on board with their cause) before I start to love them so that was something that took me a while to appreciate. Once I did get to know Shazi though (make that all of the characters), I really did love them and I’m so glad I got to know their stories.

I had a lot of fun once I really started to get into the thick of things. The world-building was quite fascinating, full of rich descriptions, interesting magical elements, and just had a great overall feel. All of the characters really started to shine and I really loved every single one of them — well aside from the baddies, of course — but even the antagonists were incredibly interesting. It took a little time for things to develop but I like how natural it felt to let these things unfold, especially in the case of the romantic elements. Renee Ahdieh’s writing was quite beautiful and it was just lovely to let myself really feel out this world and sort of develop around me.

THE WRATH AND THE DAWN concludes with punch after punch and it turned out to be just as thrilling as everyone had promised! Lives on the line, relationships in jeopardy, kingdoms at stake, and really everything reaching its pinnacle all at the right moments. It definitely had me wanting more which is both good and bad since I really enjoyed the conclusion but now I have to wait for book two (which is a ways out considering I read this book even before its publication date). All-in-all, I really enjoyed THE WRATH AND THE DAWN and how Renee Ahdieh adapted 1001 Nights into the storyline. It was a great original story with a hint of that something familiar (even reminded me of Aladdin in a specific marketplace scene!) and although I had a bit of a tough time in the beginning, I do think it’s quite worth the read and recommendation!

Believe the hype because The Wrath and the Dawn are everything someone could ever ask for. The moment I finished and closed this book, my feelings are all over in America. I want to relive it over and over. It is almost a crime not to love it. FYI, that was my words, they are hyperbole and it is certainly not a universal law, but you could freely consider that if you gladly wish so.

The Wrath and the Dawn follow the story of Shahrzad who volunteers to be a bride to the boy-king Khalid, who takes a new bride every night only to execute at the dawn. How little did they knew, Shahzrad only presented herself because she vowed to avenge the death of her best friend.

But as time progressed. Shahzrad are starting to realize, he is not everything what he seems to be.

The Wrath & the Dawn proved itself to be worthy of every praise. I was initially worried because the plot took almost sixty pages for it to move forward, but after that everything fell into pieces. I was intoxicated.

The world building is ethereal, and lavish, from fabric to food and to its picturesque surrounding.

The story itself is rich and diverse. Even though it is fictional and set in a fantasy world. Ahdieh said it is based in Ancient Persia and has a few influences from India. This book also brought new folk tales to the table. I am not quite familiar with it, but regardless of that, I practically devoured it anyway.

Ahdieh’s writing is mystical, uncanny and eloquent. I love all of the terms and honorifics that were used. It’s so refreshing and it makes the story even more authentic.

This dangerous girl. This captivating beauty.

This destroyer of worlds and creator of wonder.

All of the characters are so full of life and consuming. Everyone compliments each other. We have our usual banter and plenty of swoon worthy moments

The author also skillfully entwined the danger and alluring, sensual romance aspect of the novel. It is everything I ever wish for. And I’ll leave you to this favorite passage of mine, one that made me writhe in pain and sing hallelujah.

“What are you doing to me, you plague of a girl?” he whispered.

“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 Wrath and the Dawn easily become one of my favorite books. It is simply addicting and mesmerizing.

Listen to my The Wrath and the Dawn fanmix in 8tracks. You can also see the full tracklist here. Full review also posted at Young Adult Hollywood.

I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Readers will either find The Wrath and the Dawn wildly romantic, or wildly improbable. One girl captures the attention of a heartless ruler, not because she is beautiful but because she is honest and an intriguing puzzle. In the midst of revenge, secrets, and heart breaking regret, the king who has never let a bride live past the dawn of her wedding night lets one girl see the next day, and the next, and the next, risking everything he has gained through his monstrous actions. It isn't because her stories are engaging, as the legends have all insisted. It isn't because he fell for her feminine wiles. It is because, in her, he sees everything he has lost, taken, and sacrificed. Sigh. I found it wildly romantic. Each character in this book is so well developed - their conflicts are clear and vivid and bleed through the pages. The terrible choices they all must make are so well founded that readers will be left taunt with suspense and uncertainty about how things are going to play out until the very end. The setting is sumptuous, mysteriously exotic, and magical. It is the very thing that drew me in, but it is the one thing that threatened to send me running -- with exotic lands come unfamiliar names, and I struggled to keep characters straight, especially the rather large cast of men. This is not an insurmountable obstacle, so I would urge readers to stick it out. Each character is distinct enough in his or her actions that it gets easier. While there are several action sequences, readers should also expect swaths of introspective thinking and many conversations designed to give insight into motives and internal conflicts. This is what adds depth to characters, but it isn't as engaging as the sword fights, assassination attempts and street brawl that bracket them. I wasn't fully satisfied with the ending -- I know that I'm going to have to read the next one, but I also know that is likely a year away. I think many of my high school students will find this mix of suspense, action, and romance very compelling, so it goes on my classroom library wish list, and my librarian is definitely getting a recommendation for this one. Language and situations are appropriate for grades seven and up, but adults will find they won't want to put it down either.

I’m not really sure what to say about this one. I’m a little bit torn. We are introduced to Shahrzad whose best friend has been murdered. She was one of the girls who became Khalid’s wife and was murdered just as many girls before her had been.

I really did enjoy it. I however had a hard time getting into it. The first half I just felt like dragged on. I wasn’t into the plot or the characters very much. I just didn’t relate to them and I didn’t care for them.

But by about the midway point I started getting sucked right into the story and I had to know what was going to happen next. I enjoyed Shahrzad getting to know Khalid and seeing a side of him she did not expect. I liked their encounters. I also liked all the side characters as well. They each were so bright and beautifully written.

I just had a feeling there was more to Khalid’s story than what everyone thinks and I was very right. I knew it would be something like that even though I wasn’t sure what.

Overall: I found myself really enjoying this one even though I had a hard time with the beginning.

I started to care about the characters and by the time the story ended, I wished I had the second book. I really liked all the characters even the not so good ones. I also want to know what happens next.

Cover: It’s not too bright and colorful but if I had seen it in on the shelf, I’d probably pick it up!

What I’d Give It: 4/5 Cupcakes
______________
Taken From Princess Bookie

"It would not be a welcome dawn.
Already the sky told this story, with its sad halo of silver beckoning from beyond the horizon."

Now THAT is how you start a book. Don't you just want to eat those delicious sentences? Don't you just want to keep reading? Do it. Keep reading, because this book is just as mesmerizing as its first sentences. It's a wonder of writing and character, of magic and politics, of love and hate. Mesmerizing, luminous, romantic, heartbreaking, lyrical, beautiful, dangerous, funny, feminist (!!!!), endearing, and so many other adjectives that I thought of and then replaced with others when I turned another page. To be honest, I haven't felt this particular way about a book since I first read The Scorpio Races, which is a high compliment indeed. They're not similar at all except in the most important way: how they make you feel.

Shahrzad is the heroine of heroines. She's fierce, stubborn, and good with a bow & arrow, yes, but she's also sentimental and "girly" and jealous and flawed. She doesn't let anyone think that being a girl means she isn't strong, and she doesn't let being strong stop her from being a girl. Girls have to put up with a lot of crap, and Shahrzad isn't afraid to call the world out on it.
"Is that kind of disrespect . . . normal?"
Shahrzad lifted a shoulder. "It's not normal. But it's not unexpected. It's the curse of being a woman," she joked in a morose manner.

Basically Shazi is fantastic and everyone should be more like her.

Khalid. Okay, so here's the thing about Khalid. Somewhere between pages 1 and 115, I kind of fell in love with him and I couldn't put my finger on why. I mean, the dude has killed dozens of women. That is not a thing that usually works for me. But something about him had me swooning harder than I've swooned in a long time. Before Khalid, I wasn't even sure I did swoon anymore, having become accustomed to dreamy male characters, especially of the let-me-hug-you-and-keep-you-happy variety. I've got plenty of characters who hold my happiness inside theirs—if they aren't happy, I can't be either—but not many who are distinctly unhappy and somehow manage to make me happy anyway. That was what Khalid did.
By page 200, I had figured out the secret ingredient that made me love him.
He's a feminist. A raging, vocal feminist who respects women not because they are women, not because they are someone's mother, wife, sister, etc., but because they are people. While he often wants to stand up for Shazi, she can stop him with a single hand on his chest or arm, because he knows that she can fight her own battles. Heck, he knows that she can fight pretty much anyone's battles.
My favorite thing about this, though? His feminism is learned. It is actively achieved; he hasn't always been this way. He was raised by a father who thought of women as property, and I can't tell you what impact that had on Khalid as a husband because it's a major spoiler, but trust me when I say that he had some poor, ingrained behaviors to outgrow. And he did outgrow them. Which is a beautiful thing.

"You are—remarkable. Every day, I think I am going to be surprised by how remarkable you are, but I am not. Because this is what it means to be you. It means knowing no bounds. Being limitless in all that you do."

"Shahrzad al-Khayzuran! You are not weak. You are not indecisive. You are strong. Fierce. Capable beyond measure."

Naturally with these two awesome characters (who are both supposed to kill each other haha oops), the romance is off-the-charts amazing. It doesn't sneak up on you the way some of my favorites do, but that doesn't mean it isn't well developed and believable. If anyone tries to claim instalove on this one I will personally fight them on it because it was so slow and steady it was almost torturous. You just want to smash their faces together, to be honest.

Oh, and the side characters are great. I love that Shazi could have so many enemies in this book, considering her position on both the inside and the outside of two warring systems, but nobody was unnecessarily cruel to her. She made friends tentatively but easily, and Despina was such an asset to both her and the story itself. Jalal was an asset to Khalid. Everybody loves each other and nothing hurts okay some things hurt, but you'll like it. When people were cruel to Shazi, absolutely nobody was having it, least of all Shazi herself. God, I love her so much.

I've provided a few samples of how flawless the writing is, but what you can't tell from those samples is that the entire book is written that way. The whole book is earth-shatteringly stunning, with descriptions and lines and emotional punches that will knock you over repeatedly. Allow me to flip to a random page and find an example: "He smiled a smile to shame the sun." WHAT IS THIS WORD-SORCERY?

I love this book so much. It's probably my favorite of 2015 (definitely in the top 5).

Now, you say I have to wait HOW LONG for the next one?

I wanted to read this book since I first saw the cover and learned that is was to be based on The Thousand and One Nights. I love that original tale. This story definitely does it justice.

Shahrzad (Shazi) volunteers to be the Caliph of Khorasan’s next wife even though all of this wives are executed the dawn after their wedding. Snazi volunteers because her best friend, Shiva, was a previous bride of the Caliph Khalid. Shazi wants revenge for the murder of Shiva by the “monster” boy-king of Khorasan. Shazi’s plan is to kill the Caliph. She has no intentions of developing feelings for Khalid.

Shazi begins a story on her wedding night but does not finish it. This is how she hopes to ensure her survival. She hopes that the Caliph will honor his promise to hear the end of the story. As Shazi is able to survive the dawn, she surprises many people.

One of the people she surprises is her Greek maid, Despina. Another is the captain of the guard, Jalal, who also happens to be Khalid’s cousin. Shazi also surprises both herself and Khalid.

Tariq, Shazi’s childhood friend and first love, is not accepting of Shazi’s decision to become the Caliph’s bride. He sees Khalid only as a monster who needs to be destroyed. He doesn’t want to leave Shazi with Khalid and will do anything to save her.

It all gets a bit complicated as a variety of things start to happen. I love that about this story. Things aren’t always what they seem. I cannot wait for the next book after that horrible cliffhanger of an ending that nearly had me in tears. Needless to say, I absolutely loved this book.

This review first appeared at Orandi et Legendi(http://catholicamanda.com/review-wrath-and-dawn/).

I am not familiar at all with the original tale of the Arabian Nights that this story is based off of so I can't give any compare an contrast there. However I did like "The Wrath and The Dawn" enough to read the sequel. Its the story of the 'evil' caliph who takes a new bride each day and then kills them at dawn. Shazi has volunteered to be his bride because her friend was recently one of Khalid's victims. She wants explanations and revenge.

The plot was pretty easy to figure out early on. Khalid isn't really evil and the two have mad attraction between them. Khalid, being our narrator is the 'special' wife of Khalid's hundreds who he actually falls for. So basically readers keep reading to find out why Khalid is killing these woman and if the two in fact get together. Now there was a ton of external drama happening throughout the book to add conflict. There is Khalid's childhood boyfriend and his best friend trying to save her life. Her own father is a shady character who is most certain up to no good. But the sections with these characters slowed the book down and they were by far the least interesting aspects of the book.

I wish there was more actual danger and conflict from inside Khalid's home/manor/whatever it is called here. I liked these supporting characters much better. They include Khalid's best frenemy and Shazi's servant girl. And the scenes actually featuring both Shazi and Khalid were too few and far between. I loved their chemistry!

The author has done a great job with this novel and as I said, I look forward to a sequel. Some of the plot threads could have been tightened up but there was well done tension and intrigue to keep me flying through the pages.

Ahdieh bombards you with so many names (and several for certain people) that it ruined the ending for me. I had no clue who one of the characters bartering in the last chapter was, thus I didn't really understand what happened...Am I alone feeling this way?
Besides my little rant, the book was gorgeously​ written and the characters prodigiously drawn out. A must read for lovers of retellings.

3.5 stars

I really quite liked this -- while slow, I thought it had a really intriguing story at heart, and I really loved the main set of characters. The love progressed too quickly though, and I wasn't a fan of the story being dressed (har die har) in such long descriptions of clothing and rooms. But the food descriptions were A+.

I originally had no plans of reading The Wrath and The Dawn but after rave reviews on Twitter, I thought why not? I knew this wasn’t the typical genre I preferred, I’ve never been into full out romance. So I didn’t know what to think when I picked this up but I was ready to try something new.

The multiple points of view were really intriguing, it was nice getting the story from multiple angles. It really helped keep the plot from being completely one side and developed it nicely. Surprisingly, it wasn’t the romance that bothered me, it was Shahzrad, the main character. From the beginning I had mix feelings about her, I found no way to connect to her at all. As the story progressed and her relationship with Khalid continued I wanted more of Khalid’s story than hers. I loved Tariq but by the end of it Khalid left even me swooning:

“Get up, Shahrzad al-Khayzuran. You kneel before no one. Least of all me.”

Despite all that, I found myself face palming through most of the book and thinking Shazi couldn’t be anymore condescending but boy was I wrong! By the time I had reached the last few chapters of the book my hopes weren’t really high. I mean, I’d liked it, but I didn’t love it at this point. But then Renée Ahdieh comes around and gives us this incredible cliff hanger ending and I finally see the Shazi that I wanted more of. And for that, I am thankful because it saved the book for me.

So is it possible to be surprised and disappointed by a book at the same time? because that’s how I felt by the time I finished of The Wrath and The Dawn. I loved the magical elements and the writing was utterly beautiful. But I was always left wanting more, more world building, more magic, more of Khalid’s story. I have some seriously high hopes for the next book but all in all, it was worth the read.

I can't say much more than that this story was breath taking. Captivating, the story, the characters, the attention to detail and the way this story tore into your emotions elevated it above all YA novels. I would reccomend this book to anyone who enjoys strong characters who are whole but beautifully flawed and strong.

Genre: YA Romance
Read: June 26
My Review:
I am so surprised by this book, and let me just say that it deserves all the hype it's been getting of the late. To be honest, I have never read A Thousand and One Nights before, but you don't need to in order to dive into this story. Let's start with the characters. The MC is a stubborn, honest, and brave girl Shahrzad or Shazi. I initially didn't come to love her, but eventually she grew on me and I love her. Then there is the Caliph, who is cold and a "monster". His close companion, Jalal, who i've also come to love. Theres also Despine, Shazi's new female friend at the palace that is much appreciated. And finally we have Tariq, who I have conflicted feelings for. All characters were greatly developed and even though the story is told from third person, every moment can be perfectly visualized. Which brings me to me next point, the writing style. I, personally, LOVED the writing style and it quickly became my absolute favorite aspect of the book. The author gave such unexplainable imagery that I felt like I was living in the palace and experiencing everything firsthand. Next, comes the almost non-existent world-building. Ordinarily, this would be a huge issue for me, but the story itself is so captivating that I didn't need extra world-building because the romance was enough. Speaking of which, the romance was amazing. It was an excruciating slow burn in the best way possible, even though they're already married (not a spoiler). Since this book mainly revolves around the romance it at least had to have some chemistry, and boy did this book deliver. I understand why everyone is dying for the second book, and I am too now! Also, one last aspect that I loved about this book is how utterly unique it was, which made it all the more exciting. Overall, this book stole my heart and gave me all the feels I needed and more.

Recommend: Definitely

I am a sucker for fairy tales and this one took me by surprise. The Wrath and the Dawn is based on 1001 Arabian Nights, with Shahrzad on a mission to avenge her friend's death by marrying the Khalid and surviving the night. I don't want to ruin anything, but the way Renee weaves the character motives and the story behind the story is magical. Highly recommended for those who love retellings or richly-weaved stories. Five stars!

What an awesome premise! I loved the idea. A retelling of the 101 Arabian Nights, it turns out the story is not what we always believed, and this story makes a whole lot more sense.

Khalid, the 18 year-old Caliph of Khorasan.
Shahrzad the 16 year old bride.

the book is marketed to 12 year olds and up, but the story has themes that are target to 16 to 18 year olds. The premise is also intriguing to this 50 year old but the execution (pardon the unintended pun) is written for a much younger audience.

A captivating romance, The Wrath and The Dawn is definitely going to end up as one of my favorite reads of 2016. It is the kind of story one would want to read again and again. Khalid, Caliph of Horasan, murdered all his previous brides with a silk chord. Why would it be any different for Shahrzad?

At the moment romance does not rank very high as a reading preference for me. This book, however, enthralled me and certainly sent my emotions on a rollercoaster ride several times. The vivid descriptions of Arabian life and the beautifully written, at times almost poetic prose places the reader in a world of chivalry, romance and tales of magic.

The characters are wonderfully realistic and completely lifelike. Determined to succeed where so many others have failed, Shahrzad, the main character, is a feisty and clever girl. Enigmatic and complex, Khalid, however, is the character who truly draws the attention of the reader. Tariq, the third part of this triangle, is hot-headed but certainly not without charm.

The Wrath and The Dawn is a read filled with suspense, lots of beautiful romance and numerous poignant moments; a must-read in my opinion. (Ellen Fritz)

My full review can be found on my blog, Reader Rayna, as well as my Goodreads.

This book was enjoyable and frustrating, almost equally, but I enjoyed it more than I was frustrated with it.

I felt that the romance blossomed over time and just the simple fact of Shahrzad and Khalid shared their innermost feelings was enough to really bring a romance into fruition. I believed in their love, and I wanted more.

The characters themselves, from our main duo to Despina, the handmaiden, to Jalal, the quick-witted cousin of the King of Kings, to other characters whom I fell in love with or began to hate, there was a great cast of characters.

I loved being able to read a diverse book in which it takes place in an ancient form of... Some country in the Middle East (someone please tell me where!) because I've never read a story from that time period or that part of the world. The character names are beautiful, their personalities are each different but combine in a way that compliments one another, and the plot was one that drove me to want to know more.

And then crap happened at the end and now I'm angry and confused and I need the next book

HIGHLIGHTS: Shahrzad is an impressive protagonist - tough, unapologetic, and determined, I was rooting for her from the beginning. She marries Khalid, the Caliph of Khorasan, despite the fact that he kills all of his new brides. But Shazi is crafty, and manages to stay alive long enough to figure out Khalid's weaknesses so she can kill him in order to avenge her best friend (who was one of Khalid's murdered wives). Khalid is surprisingly complex, and his reasons for killing were a surprise to me. I think what fascinated me the most was the world - it was so detailed, vivid, and I wish I could watch a film version of this story. The romance is slow, the descriptions are rich, and I never quite knew what to expect next since this is a debut full of surprises. THE WRATH AND THE DAWN features a cast of complex, realistic characters, a nice balance between humor and seriousness, and a romance brimming with tension.

LOWLIGHTS: I kept reading reviews about how this was the best book ever, so the hype set my expectations a bit too high. It's a great story, but it felt very incomplete at the end, and I wish some of the side characters had been given more page-time so I could get to know them better. And while it was nice to see what was happening outside of Shazi's story with the other 3rd person POV's, I would have preferred to only have hers.

Ahdieh, like her main character Shazi, is a beautifully gifted story teller and will captivate you the moment you open the book.

I will be the first to admit I was a bit hesitant about THE WRATH AND THE DAWN when I got it. Retellings have never really been my thing – and the setting and new vocabulary was a bit daunting to me as well. In the past I have found myself so caught up in trying to remember what a word means, flipping back and forth to a glossary that I lose interest in the actual story. This is most certainly not what happened here! Within a few chapters, not only did I no longer need the glossary because the words new to me were easily understandable in meaning based on the way they were used, but they became part of me as I read. I'll even admit I recalled a few of them from watching Aladdin as a kid…(but no, there are no genies in this story!)

Shazi's remarkable courage to not just stand before, but wed the man who has killed so many people in her village is your first look into how fiercely the story is told. It is ruthless in how it will set you up, and tear you down. It's perfection in the directions it pulls your heart. And it's adventure will leave you breathless like you were one swinging the scimitar yourself.

All of the hype is true. All of the beauty and mystery portrayed by the cover is in the book. And I implore you to read this magnificent tale yourself, and live in the world created by Reness Ahdieh then tell you don't see things the same way I do.

This is one of those books that effortlessly transfers you to another world. It's so hard for writers to sweet up their world without using a 100 pages first. Ahdieh has you there instantly and then is off to all the mysterious court intrigue and romance you could possibly want. Beautiful language and gorgeous imagery. Original and so promising!

Can't wait for the next one in the series!

My rating is 4.5 stars.

This is one of those stories that you want to settle in to read and revel in the author's ability to create an intimate, but compelling story. It takes a lot of brass to retell a story about a famous storyteller. Not only does the author do it well, but she does it with her own style and voice that's equally as captivating as her character Shahrzad.

I really enjoyed Shahrzad's character. I liked how we see Shahrzad start as someone bent on revenge, but also grieving the loss of her best friend and other girls at the hands of the Caliph Khalid. Her initial feelings are challenged when she starts to learn more about Khalid and that he may not be the monster she or others have thought him to be. She struggles with her grief over her friend and her growing feelings for Khalid. Shahrzad also does not quail under anyone's scrutinity or suspicion. I especially liked the rapport between Shahrzad and her handmaiden Despina. At the beginning, they were both suspicious of the other and by the end, their banter is endearing and shows an unexpected relationship that's developed.

Aside from the story and characters, I also enjoyed the writing. As an aspiring writer, I really appreciated the author's effort to create a setting that is believable, but still retains some fantastical elements. I liked the care in the details of the characters' food, clothing, and rituals. It was just enough world building to help the reader feel like they were some place foreign, but there was also a hint of magic and folklore that also gave the setting a sense of fantasy too. I also liked the delicate details in describing Shahrzad and Khalid's tenuous relationship.

My only issue, which is minor, was how long the curse was withheld from Shahrzad and the reader. For as discerning as Shahrzad is portrayed to be, she doesn't realize that all the girls being killed hold to a pattern. One could argue she's blinded by grief. For as tenacious as Shahrzad was, I thought she'd at least find out something. I also thought Khalid withheld the curse from Shahrzad for too long. I can see for the pacing why he withheld it, but at the very least, Shahrzad could've found clues especially about Ava. I also didn't understand why the curse was kept only among Khalid's family. Although these issues were a concern, it did not take away from my enjoyment of the story. I'm looking forward to the next book.

I'd recommend this to readers 14 years and up. Language is clean. There are some instances of violence, but it's not graphic or gratuitious. There's also sexual content, but it's only mentioned and not described.

Please visit my profile on Goodreads to see more of my reviews.
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/21658115-jennifer

YA Fantasy, THE WRATH AND THE DAWN is an awesome title for an amazing book, but more importantly, it is a dark retelling of ONE THOUSAND AND ONE NIGHTS (which goes by many other names). In this story, Scheherazade volunteered to the the next bride of a sultan, who would marry a bride every day before executing her the next morning. On her wedding night, Scheherazade told a story, not completing it before morning. The sultan was forced to postpone her execution. The next night, she would finish her tale and start a new one, only to end on the cliffhanger. This goes on for a thousand and one nights, thus the title of the work.

But in this version, there is magic. The lines between stories, the supernatural, magic, and curses are blurred. It is all real, and the author slowly makes its presence known. The world building of this book is absolutely gorgeous from the clothes the characters wear to the sword the Caliph carries, and I love what a fresh change this book is from the usual novels with magical princesses and Victorian romances. There will never be enough Historical Fiction novels that is set outside of Europe or the Americas.

Curious and absolutely wonderful, Shahrzad (Scheherazade, in this version) is a determined girl who is definitely filled with hate for the greatly loathed Caliph (the sultan, in this version). Shazi, which is her nickname, manages to put her execution off for one night, igniting a new change in the cycle. Despite her wishes to see the Caliph dead and very dead, she slowly falls in love with him to her horror.

The Caliph is shrouded in mystery, and when he starts opening up, the boy-king reveals so much about himself. Without setting off spoiler alarms, I must say that the Caliph is a puzzling character who is a good leader but also has to atone for his actions. Whether or not he is a good man at heart, his actions and orders must be watched carefully and looked over.

The story is very, very suspenseful. Shahrzad is always one step away from death, and she has a brilliant mind. She plays the intrigue of court politics well, always making subtle jabs. Told from multiple perspectives, THE WRATH AND THE DAWN may have strange transitions between POVs, but it makes it up in strong moments of emotions, romance, dialogue, and magic. The ending is one of the most shocking parts of the book, and few would know what Renee Ahdieh would bring next.

Overall, THE WRATH AND THE DAWN is an exciting first installment in a duology. It has so much potential for a dark and thrilling tale set in a faraway land with magic.

Rating: Four out of Five

Incredible! Strong characters, vivid scenes and tension that doesn't let up. The Wrath and the Dawn depicted a seemingly impossible romance that masterfully evolved into something convincing and had me gripped. I will definitely read more from Renee.

I thoroughly enjoyed this new take on Scheherazade and A Thousand and One Nights. Renee Ahdieh has crafted a gripping tale filled with great characters, luscious, transporting description, and plenty of angst and emotional turmoil. I'll admit to being a bit put off by King Khalid and his behavior in the beginning, but it's the mark of a good writer when the villain becomes the hero over the course of a story. And Shazi is a heroine worthy of admiration. She's tough, determined, and oh so clever. As if telling tales for her life each night isn't enough, she has to navigate a court filled with political intrigue. Betrayals, secrets, and surprise twists abound as she fights for her life and fights not to lose her heart to her greatest enemy.

My only issue is that I thought the foundation for the premise was a bit shaky; a big part of the tension in the story lies in Shazi's quest for answers as to why Khalid keeps taking wives only to kill them the following morning, and the big reveal about why the women had to die was rather anticlimactic. I'm thinking there must be more to it and we'll get it in the next book, which I am anxiously awaiting!

I spotted this beauty in Barnes & Noble yesterday and, props to the cover designer because, I had to have it. The title hooked me as well. Then I started reading it and became mesmerized. Seriously, it is so good I wish the author were my neighbor or even FB friend so I could sit and chat with her. There is nothing about this book I did not like. I loved the characters and their development. I loved the setting, steeped so richly in culture that at times I could see myself walking the streets of Rey or roaming the palace, or tasting the food served. The development was beautiful and executed flawlessly, never giving me a chance to stop reading.
5 amazing stars for this magnificent twist on Arabian Nights. I've been waiting for this book and I was not disappointed. the storytelling weaves an intriguing and intoxicating tale that I could not put down. the characters hooked me early and have left me wanting more. I have a thousand questions and cannot wait for the second installment. This is an author I will be following. Shazi is a strong and determined heroine. Khalid is the tormented anti-hero that you feel for and come to love because the choices in his life are heart breaking. one hundred lives or one hundred thousand lives? is there a lesser evil to those? Definitely a must read.

I truly wanted to like this book, but I couldn't. A lot of it may have to do with the narrator on the audiobook. Completely awful. She reads every line with anger and snark no matter what the tone of the line actually was. Between that and no variance in character voices, she probably ruined it for me. If you want to read this one, actually read it and skip the audio version.

I'm a big fan of fairytale retellings, and I'm always looking for ones that are outside the usual western European stories. The Wrath and the Dawn is a retelling of 1001 Nights (sometimes called the Arabian Nights), a collection of traditional Arabic folk tales with a framing story about a murderous king who kills his new wives at dawn every morning.

In this version, 18-year-old Khalid is the Caliph (or King) of Khorasan. Every day, he takes a new bride, who is then murdered the following morning. After her best friend is killed, a young woman named Shahrzad volunteers to become the Caliph's next bride. She want revenge, but to get it, she'll have to make it past the first night. She tells him a story and he's intrigued enough to keep her alive for another day. And thus begins an elaborate power struggle between the spouses, as Shahrzad begins to see that her husband is perhaps not the monster she assumes him to be.

I really enjoyed The Wrath and the Dawn. Shahrzad is an awesome heroine. Even with her need for revenge, she's smart enough to take the long view and she finds ways to keep Khalid fascinated enough to spare her life each day. Khalid is an interesting character. A guy who kills a wife a day isn't exactly appealing, but the author makes him compelling. It's clear from the beginning that Khalid isn't a just a psychopath and that there's something more going on, but Shahrzad will have to break down a lot of barriers to get to the truth. Their game of cat and mouse is fascinating to read about, and I had moments of dread when Shahrzad was pushing at Khalid, wondering what might make him snap. And as she's plotting her revenge, she finds herself developing unexpected feelings for her husband. It's a tense, absorbing read.

I did have some small issues with the writing. There were times when the descriptions felt a bit overdone. For example, every time characters are eating, we're given a detailed description of the food, which felt unnecessary after the first couple of times. And the reader is constantly reminded of the eye colors of the two main characters (hazel for Shahrzad and amber for Khalid). Eye color seems to be mentioned every few pages, and I found it annoying. But these are minor quibbles, and I'm sure many readers won't be bothered by them. Also, I expected there to be more stories within the main story, given the source material, but there are only a few.

I highly recommend The Wrath and the Dawn, and I'll be back for the sequel next year.

I listened to the audio of this book and I wouldn't recommend it. I just think this story would make a better read than audio listen. The audiobook before this that I listened to was An Ember in the Ashes and it was amazing with dual actors playing the two main characters. This book has alternating POVs but it's just one actress doing the whole thing. I think it would have been better with an actor doing the alternating male POV. I also found the audio to be confusing at parts, me being unaware who was speaking at the time because it all sounded the same. The Wrath and the Dawn tells the story of Shahrzad, a sixteen year old girl who for the sake of getting revenge for the death of her best friend she marries Khalid, the man she believes to be responsible for her best friends death. Shahrzad plans to exact revenge by killing Khalid. There's more to it with myths, legends and a touch of magic. The romance is epic in that you can feel how each person passionately cares about the love in their life but the sexiness is very mild. The story ends openly, knowing there will be more to this series so there is no resolution.

Eighteen year-old Khalid Ibn al-Rashid is the Caliph of Khorasan, the King of Kings. Each night he takes a new bride, only to have her suffocated come morning. Sixteen year-old Shahrzad al-Khayzuran is full of fight, sass, and desperately bent on seeking revenge for the death of her best friend. When she agrees to become the next Calipha of Khorasan, she sets a plan into action to live beyond the night and to take down the monstrous Khalid before he can kill again. Of course, the Caliph is much more than he seems, bent and bowed under the pressures of his kingdom and a vile curse. In this fantastical play on "A Thousand and One Nights", Renee Ahdieh creates a beautifully lush Middle Eastern palace ripe for love amidst a desert landscape and the horror of a world in political upheaval. Weaving an exquisite tale of love, loss and redemption, Ahdieh writes beautifully, bringing a decidedly modern zest to her heroine. Though her world may be dark, Shahrzad’s feet dance through its hallways on delicate silk slippers.

Oh, did I gnash my teeth when I reached the nonending. And then immediately started Googling to see if - when there will be a sequel. Yes, there will be a sequel (next year) and yes, I will definitely want to read it.

I thought I knew how The Wrath and the Dawn was going to be like: that is, like a young adult version of Sheharazade, wherein there is a tale, within a tale, within a tale, and so forth and so on. It started out that way, but the author was smart enough to deviate from that framing device and concentrate on Sharzad and to a lesser extent, Khalid. Sharzad is the vibrant center of this novel. She is whip-smart, witty, and strong, a very fitting, yet modern version of the legendary storyteller of Arabian Nights. Ahdieh picks a few of the stories from her source material and uses its themes to further the narrative and give it intriguing layers. Although the romance was expected (complete with a love triangle), Sharzad and Khalid still had some swoon-worthy scenes with heat.

I am looking forward to the sequel, where I hope Sharzad gets to show off more of her athletic skills in addition to her verbal parrying.

When I started reading THE WRATH AND THE DAWN, I wasn't sure I was going to like it. By page 50, I still wasn't invested. The prose was beautiful, but it was just lacking...something. But I kept reading because I'd heard so many good things—and holy crap; I'm so glad I did.

By the middle of this book, I was absolutely, 100% engrossed in the story. After Ahdieh moved away from the 1001 Nights retelling and more into HER story, it became so incredible. Shazi, our main protagonist, was so fierce, and Khalid, the villainous caliph, was so shattered and tormented. His reason for murdering a bride every night absolutely broke my heart. Over the course of her book, Ahdieh made me fall in love with Khalid so hard, even though he was supposed to be "evil." And this book is absolutely a story of redemption, and those are my favorite, favorite love stories. We get to read THE WRATH AND THE DAWN from both Shazi and Khalid's POVs, and seriously, I cannot say enough how much I adored the romance arc in this book.

Meanwhile, Ahdieh mixed in the POVs of Tariq and Shazi's father, two people who love Shazi unconditionally and want to save her from Khalid, and their scenes worked SO well to heighten the stakes of the novel. Tariq and Shazi had been best friends since childhood and had fallen in love over the years, and when he realized Shazi had fallen for Khalid...Tariq's pain was hard to read. Especially when he refused to admit it and go after her anyway. And Shazi's father takes drastic steps to bring his daughter home, and those choices have catastrophic consequences, but to see all that he went through to save his daughter...what girl wouldn't want her daddy to come after her?

And then there's that ending...that heartbreaking ending. Oh, I cannot wait for book two. I just want to snuggle this book and reread until the second one comes out. Such an amazing, amazing debut from Renee Ahdieh.

5/5 stars!

**I received an ARC of this book at the RT Convention.**

I mostly love reading books related to "Arabian Nights". Renee didn't disappoint me with her story! It has everything: words in Arabic, sensual descriptions of a world in the desert, magic and a great atmosphere where hatred and love bloom.

Shahrzad decides to marry the all-scary boy king who every dawn kills his wives and no one knows why. Determined to destroy him for killing her friend she doesn't expect to gorw feelings for him and later discover his secrets.

I am not sure if this book reminded me the tale of "BlueBeard" or Beauty and the Beast. Myabe something in between. Mostly I enjoyed the world building while the romance came a little late to the plot. Also I liked Dspina very much! A Greek slave in the arabian court? Yes, she had the sassy mouth and the behavior you can find in every Greekk girl! ;P

Much to my dismay, the book ended in yet another almost cliffhanger, leaving me with many questions and worries about the future of Chorasan as also if the main characters will find each other again. I recommend this book to everyone!

This book was an unsuspected surprise. Anytime I read a book by an author that I’ve never read before, I have to get a feel for the writing style and the voice. I will say that it took me a chapter or two to really get into the story but once I got the hang of it, I did not let go. I fell in love with the imagery which was magical in itself. I could see the world that Renee created perfectly. It was so mesmerizing and I enjoyed every detail.

I can’t say enough about the characters – they embody what I love in fantasy. Kazi is fierce and I loved that she could hold her own. I fell in love with Khalid through Kazi - these two are perfect for each other. You know what I can’t wait for? I can’t wait to see what happens with the other characters in this book like Tariq – he’s intriguing and a force within his own right.

I love when books in this genre have kick-ass action and I feel like I got a small taste and it left me wanting more. I‘m hopeful that there will be more sword-wielding action in the next book. I’m just ready for a major showdown to see whose left standing when the dust settles.

When I first heard about this retelling of the 1001 Nights, I was intrigued. I like retellings of fairy tales, and found the setting very intriguing. What I didn't expect was for the author to find a way to have a powerful female protagonist in a believable impossible situation develop from a position of little power to finding her way to a respectful romantic relationship with the man who at the beginning has ordered her death. The specter of Stockholm syndrome is specifically addressed in the novel, and it is not dismissed out of hand, but the situation is constructed in such a way that this seems unlikely. The very full cast of characters are rich, complex, and believable, and no one seems to have a motivation as simple as "he's a bad guy". There are no stock characters here, which is refreshing in YA literature. The plotting is brilliant -- while there is a satisfying resolution of one element of the thorny tangle of problems presented, many other problems are set up and I can't wait to return to this world for book two!

So not knowing about this book I was my skeptical self, on my TBR for a bit. There was a lot of hype with this book so I though lets give this a shot. This is a sophomore novel for Ahdieh and let me just say she has arrived ! This series is going to be on the shelves of all YA readers, foaming at the mouth for the sequel and it novella counterparts.
It started a little slow for me and since I'm not a fan of period pieces it went even slower. It wasn't a period piece per say but there where definite elements there that distinguished it as such like style of speech, swords/ archery, monarchy, and so on that identified it with a less then modern storyline. It appears to have taken place in an Arabic / Persianesque country. Based on the blurb I knew there was something more to the basic plot, that the king had reasons for what he did or it wasn't what to seemed. I pushed through the slow start, and I am happy I did. Without giving anything away it picked up for me about a third of the way in. Then I was hooked and couldn't put it down. I loved the characters especially Shazi and Khalid. in addition, he supporting characters were fun to learn about and watch develop. Shazi was an amusing character that was strong but allowed us to see her vunerability. Khalid is a tortured soul, even though you fell like you shouldn't, you feel sorry for him. Character build and storyline progression was on point. I loved that there was more then just a straight up story we have some hints of fantastical magic in this book which I'm sure we will see more of in the second book of this series. Ahdieh did a stupendous job with the writing and flow of this story, even though this book genre is YA it's writing is very mature which makes it more enticing for readers of any age. I did not notice any grammatical errors and the book flowed nicely. The way Ahdieh writes is very detailed so you were able to imagine the scene in your head from what the character is wearing to the expression on their face. I feel like this is overlooked in some novels, theres detailing but it is a poke instead of a stab at describing the character or scene.
In the end I thoroughly enjoyed this book ! It has everything excitement, love, mystery, suspense and so much more I would definitely recommend this to any avid reader who likes this genre or steers clear of it. Happy reading I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Can't wait for next one !

In Marie Lu's blurb on the cover of The Wrath and the Dawn, she calls Renée Ahdieh's debut novel "an intoxicating gem of a story". I honestly couldn't have said it better; that sums of TWATD perfectly. The story of Shahrzad, a wounded girl on a quest to avenge her best friend's death, and Khalid, the tortured boy-king who murdered her, is a spellbinding tale.

When I read the blurb for this book, I knew that I was going to love it. And, guess what? I did! The Wrath and the Dawn is fabulous and I'm not just saying that because I share an alma mater with Ahdieh. (But, hey. GO TAR HEELS!)

Here are the five reasons why I gave The Wrath and the Dawn 5 out of 5 stars:

★ CULTURE & DIVERSITY
We need diverse books and Ahdieh has given us one. She gives readers an Arabian culture that is incredibly vivid and tangible. It seemed as if I could feel the fine damask material of the mantles Shahrzad wore, as if I could taste the lavash bread she ate, as if I could feel the buzz of the lively souk (outdoor market) the characters visited. I wanted to immerse myself in the world of The Wrath and the Dawn and never leave. I even listened to Arabian music playlists so that I might feel that I was truly experiencing the world. In doing so, I have discovered that I have a new found affinity for Arabian music. I have no idea what the musicians are saying, but it is all so beautiful and I don't want to stop listening to it.

★ SHAHRZAD (HER FRIENDS CALL HER SHAZI)
Shahrzad (Shazi for short) is my spirit animal. She has easily become one of my favorite female fantasy heroines (try saying that five times fast). She is headstrong, sharp-tongued, smart, and does not easily abandon her morals. What's not to like? She's honest and admirable. No wonder why Khalid fell in love with her and why Tariq's not willing to let her go.

★ KHALID, THE BEAUTIFUL MONSTER
If you read the synopsis, you're probably thinking "Why do you like this character who killed nearly 100 women?" Well, I suppose that I like Khalid for the same reasons Shahrzad does: he's a beautiful monster. He is a tortured soul with a heart of ice, and he's just waiting for someone to come around and melt it. I am a sucker for the mysterious, brooding bad boy type (especially when they have a soft core). And, Khalid fits the bill. More than that, he's the most complex character of the entire story. And, watching his character develop is like watching a rose bloom in the spring.

★ SECONDARY CHARACTERS (I SEE YOU, TOO)
First, there is Tariq (who, technically could be considered a main character), Shazi's childhood sweetheart. I found his character interesting, yet annoying at times. (But I'm biased. I only thought that he was annoying because he stood in the way of the beautifully blossoming love of Shazi and Khalid). He is incredibly fastidious in his determination to save the girl he loves, and I saw something honorable in that.

Then there is Despina, Shazi's sassy handmaiden who reminded me of my own crazy best friend. She is witty and absolutely wonderful. And, she's got some intriguing relationship drama of her own that I can't wait to read more about in Book 2.

There is the Rajput, Vikram, who serves as Shazi's bodyguard. He is a quiet presence, only speaking one line (that I remember) throughout the entire story. However, his reactions to situations and his body language spoke a thousand words. I enjoyed seeing his tough character slowly warm to Shazi's beautiful soul. She tends to have that effect on those around her.

And, finally, there is Jalal, who is my favorite secondary character and the Captain of Khalid's guard. He fills the position of the sidekick/best friend of the love interest who everyone loves. I would also consider him to be the story's comic relief. Jalal is charming, witty, and all-around lovable. His relationship with Shazi is also one that I love. He welcomes her to the family (he is Khalid's cousin) with open arms. And, you find that he is incredibly trustworthy and honest in caring for Shazi.

All of these characters, together, work to shape a beautiful world and story.

★ WRITING
Ahdieh's debut is absolutely stunning, largely because her writing style is perfection. The words are lyrical, working together to weave a beautiful web of a tale. Here are some of my favorite quotes:

“She was a dangerous, dangerous girl. A plague. A Mountain of Adamant who tore the iron from ships, sinking them to their watery graves without a second thought. With a mere smile and a wrinkle of her nose.”

"I prefer the color blue to any other. The scent of lilacs in your hair is a source of constant torment. I despise figs. Lastly, I will never forget, all the days of my life, the memories of last night—For nothing, not the sun, not the rain, not even the brightest star in the darkest sky, could begin to compare to the wonder of you."

“People fall in and out of love with the rising and setting of the sun. Rather like a boy who loves the color green one day, only to discover on the morrow that he truly prefers blue.”

“I know love is fragile. And loving someone like you is near impossible. Like holding something shattered through a raging sandstorm. If you want her to love you, shelter her from that storm…And make certain that storm isn’t you."

***

I loved The Wrath and the Dawn, a thousand times over. And I will never apologize for it.

When The Rose and The Dagger hits shelves next year, I will be the first in line to buy it. I cannot wait to find out what happens next in Shahrzad and Khalid's story.

Going into this book, I knew absolutely nothing about A Thousand and One Nights, the story that this book is apparently based off of. To be honest, I think I remember watching a Scooby Doo episode called Arabian Nights, where Shaggy is disguised as a beautiful woman and tells the Caliph stories to postpone the wedding until Scooby can rescue him. That’s literally the only thing I knew about that story going into this book. So while I’ve heard some complaints about this book following the story too closely and not being original enough, I personally found it very interesting and not like anything I’ve really read before.

In this book, we get Shahrzad, a bold and brave young woman who volunteers to marry Khalid, the young Caliph who takes a new wife every day and kills her the next morning. No, Shazi doesn’t have a death wish, she just has a burning desire for revenge. With a plan to survive the night, she makes it her mission to find Khalid’s weaknesses and destroy him for killing her best friend and dozens of other young girls. Our heroine was one of the real shining points in this book. She was clever and witty, brave and daring, and a force to be reckoned with. I really respect a woman who holds her own in a time period mostly dominated by men, and does so in a way that feels natural. I loved her honesty and sharp tongue, and the way she constantly spoke her mind and stood up to people. Besides Shahrzad, Khalid really stood out in his own way and had a lot of depth and layers that I wasn’t expecting. The two of them were constantly bantering and challenging each other and I loved every second of it.

The romance in this book was definitely full of internal conflict and I loved that because there was real foundation behind Shazi and Khalid’s fears. Shazi comes to avenger her best friend, only to fall in love with the boy who killed her, along with countless other girls. He is, without a doubt, a murderer, and there’s no way to ignore that and possibly no way to ever forgive it. And for Khalid, Shazi is the only girl he has left alive, something he is very uncertain about and brings a whole new set of problems. I really felt sympathy for both of them because the situation seems hopeless. No matter how much Shazi might love him or suspect he had a reason for killing all the girls he did, it doesn’t change the fact that he still did it and part of her might always hate him for it.

The only reason that I didn’t give this book five stars was because I would have loved a bit more magic. In this world, magic seems to be rare, but possible. To be honest, I’m not one hundred percent sure because we don’t get to learn very much about it which was a bit of a disappointment. Magic obviously plays an important role in this story, yet is hardly ever directly addressed. The world as it is, is very interesting and beautiful but by incorporating magic, it was made just a little bit more exciting and mysterious. However, by not really bringing the magic into the world in an understandable way or even bothering to really explain the rules of it, it definitely feels lacking. One of my hopes for the next book is that the magic is really explored and developed more.

This was a beautifully written tale of sacrifice and revenge, of what it means to be a monster and what it takes to love one. This book felt so unique and refreshing compared to a lot of YA books I’ve read lately, with diverse characters, a gorgeous world, and a story that made me feel all the feels.

Why I read it: This book was showing up on Twitter a lot in May, with a lot of the readers/writers that I love posting about it. Obviously I had to add it to my hold list at the library.

ZOMG Yes! You guys, I really loved this book. The love story not only moved me and forced me to keep reading, keep reading, keep reading, it also inspired me in my own writing. Any book that can do that almost always get five stars from me when it comes to a five star rating system.

I think one of my favorite things about this story is that the love story felt real. It made sense. I, too, fell in love with Khalid. At first I was a little nervous it was going to feel a little Stockholm Syndrome-esque, but not at all. The love story makes sense.

Aside from the love story, I really got into Shazi and Khalid's characters--as well as the side characters. I loved Jalal and Despina. I loved how snarky and sarcastic everyone was while all still feeling very stand alone in their personalities.

kthxbai Warning: This is a two-part series. I did not know before getting into it that there was a second book. I sort of wish that I did, because I would've liked to read them back-to-back rather than being stuck here worrying about these characters I've come to love. Still, I highly recommend this book!

I have a kind of love-hate relationship with this book. On the one hand, I had a really hard time getting into this book; the first hundred or so pages were really slow for me, and I had a hard time connecting with any of the characters. On the other hand, after I got through those pages the story did pick up. What really hooked me in was the writing; Renee writes in a very lyrical/poetic way, and the fact that it is not just shoved in your face, but is kind of subtle just made me fall in love with it. The banter and sarcasm between some of the characters was really fun, and the imagery portrayed of the world was really enticing and beautiful.
The relationship between Shazi and Khalid got more interesting and fun later on in the book. The other characters that were interesting enough to catch my attention were Jalal and Despina. The rest of the characters kind of just faded into the background. Also the big reveal felt sort of cliche, and the ending that was meant to be a cliffhanger, felt more like a disappointment.
So even though I did enjoy the book enough to continue on with the series, I did feel that there was some room for improvement.

This review can also be found on my personal book blog here: http://www.alexandriagryder.com/bookreviews/2015/6/30/the-wrath-and-the-dawn

Ever since Lila Bard from A Darker Shade of Magic swashbuckled her way into my life earlier this year I have craved strong, feisty heroines.

I have longed for pirates and adventure and so much magic, and I have not been let down in the books I have read this year.

I honestly didn't expect for The Wrath and the Dawn to affect me as much as it has; ever since I finished this story late last night it has taken a part of my heart as its home. It's thrilling. I put it down for ten minutes before I turned my light back on, grabbed the book off my shelf, and read until I reached the end. AND THAT END. Wow.

There are so many moments and scenes that keep replaying in my head, and I honestly don't know how I'm going to be able to wait an entire year for the next glimpse into these characters' lives. GOSH. WHY.

Renée Ahdieh created a beautiful female hero who is fiercely loyal and extremely quick in her remarks; Shahrzad is brilliantly fun. I was so proud of her for speaking her mind whenever she felt the need to. Renée Ahdieh is such a witty writer, and I really loved her style. I never read a disjointed sentence; they constantly flowed. Her words were so filling and honest.

And the world building reads like a dream.

And let me just talk about the swordsmanship tournament; the drills the men participated in were so beautifully written that my hands were gripping either side of my book, and I think I sat straight up in my bed, eyes wide, and held my breath until the scene ended. My most favorite scene, for sure!

I don't know what the heck I'm going to do, especially after reading the first chapter of the second book! And, of course, the last chapter broke my heart a little bit.

But I love it, and I will just patiently wait each dawn until the next book arrives.

First off, this book has been on my TBR pile since the first day I saw the cover on the internet. Never mind the premise, it was the cover which drew me in. Having now read the book, I'm happy to say that sometimes you can judge a book by its cover and not be disappointed.

~*~

Inspired by 1001 Arabian Nights, The Wrath & The Dawn follows Shahrzad when she volunteers herself to the be the most recent bride for the murderous boy-king Khalid.

Every night Khalid takes a new bride, and every morning he has her killed. After Shahrzad's best friend Shiva becomes one in a growing list of murdered girls, she vows to avenge her by killing Khalid herself. In order to stave off her impending death on the night of her wedding she begins to tell her husband a story, a story which she draws to a cliff hanger as the dawn's light creeps through the latticed window screens.

The next night Shazi picks up the story where she left off, weaving a lengthy inner story, which mirrors quite a bit of the tensions and relationships between Khalid and Shazi.

~*~SPOILERS~*~

While I do think Shahrzad could have, and maybe should have spent more time trying to fulfill her promise of vengeance, my not so inner fangirl was delighted to watch the relationship between Khalid and Shazi develop from the cold disinterest and hatred, to the awkward sort of friendship they held at the end of book one.

~*~/SPOILERS~*~

Lyrically told, and packed with an excellent cast of secondary characters, The Wrath & The Dawn blends magic, mundane, and storytelling to present a book that lived up to its media promise.

Definitely looking forward to book two, The Dagger & The Rose; hopefully it builds even further with the brief glimpse of magic book one gave.

~*~

Will buy book two in hardcover the week it's released :3

If you want twists of fate and love intertwined with action and hate splashed over by hope and suspense then this is a read for you! Excellent writing. Never once got boring or slow. The author does exceptional work on character and world building.
Highly recommend... Off to get book 2 now!

Okay, this gets five stars with creating a world. As you read this book you feel you are in the middle east somewhere. The author includes details that enhance the entire story. The story itself is great. I have just a few chapters left and I will finish those today. I have read it quickly. There was a part in the book, around page 200 or so that the story lagged a bit. I am not sure if it is the timing of secrets shared - -maybe the author waits a bit too long. Just there is some lagging in there a bit. I appreciate her romance scenes -- things happen but we aren't given needless details. One thing I have a problem believing though are the ages of the main characters. The king is supposed to be 18 and the main female, Shahrzad is supposed to be 16. They just don't ring true. But if you look past that aspect the story is great.

Okay, I just finished it. The ending is wholly INADEQUATE! But I will still give this 4 stars.

The 18 year old Caliph of Khorsan is cursed-each night he takes a new bride she is executed by dawn. So why would Shahrzad willingly volunteer to be his next bride? All is not as it seems as this story of loyalty, love, and revenge take you on a journey inspired by One Thousand and One Nights. A YA novel that is a favorite of many.

I have, once again, been ensnared by one of those books. Yes, the ones that have been hyped up to an incredible degree to the point that you start to become disbelieving of the numerous accounts of being slayed to death single-handedly by this book. The Wrath and the Dawn is a mesmerizing read from the first page to the last, full of lyrical descriptions and vibrant characters, creating a story just as magical as the Arabian tales that this book was rooted in. Rather brilliant and magical, this book didn't just break me, it destroyed my soul. Gorgeous prose and intriguing premise, and I adored it.

Shahrzad and Khalid are my new favorite pair, and I loved every interaction between them and the slow-burn and anticipation between these two characters.

" 'If you are just one girl, I am just a boy.' "

We start the story with Shahrzad, a girl determined to take down her enemy, the man she is about to marry. The boy-king who rules her land, the one who kills each bride he has the next dawn. After her dearest friend dies, she steps up to take her place.

When she meets Khalid, the king, she is fueled with hatred and propelled by revenge. Their initial interactions are intense and fraught with unspoken meaning, something I greatly enjoyed. They are enemies in that he is intent on killing her, while she only wants to destroy him, but through that there is something more.

" 'Promise me you won't kill me,' she breathed back.
'I can't do that.'
'Then there's nothing more to say.' "

Their relationship is one that is slow but sure, small moments building up into love, one that is like breathing air. It is intense and passionate, the kind of rarity that I don't often find myself carried away to gush on about, but this one does.

"Even if he was her air. Even if she loved him beyond words."

The supporting characters were not without their own charms, and I must say Despina and Jalal hold rather special meaning to me in particular. They help build the relationship between Khalid and Shahrzad, and I could not help but smile at some of their lines.

Besides this, there's the overarching plot of why Khalid must kill these women each day, tragically ending the lives of these young women. While I must say this part wasn't as difficult to decode from the careful scenes that crafted this book, the rest of the plot was engrossing. The various characters and their roles that lead to the climax I adored, and the shifts of players was interesting to say the least.

The ending of this book blew me away with how heartwrenching it was and time is flowing by all too slowly for me because I want the sequel pronto or as soon as possible. This book is beautiful and definitely worth the read, and I can only hope that there are more gems such as this book to come in the future.

A mini edition of the things I didn't like:

One of the things that detracted from my enjoyment of this book was the multiple changes in point-of-view. This is a pet peeve of mine and it made my head spin a little in the beginning because I could not keep track of some of the minor characters.

I also was a little disappointed at how little Shahrzad's storytelling skills played into this story. While I did love the way the plot unfolded, the synopsis promised more of the magical stories that A Thousand and One Nights is so well known for and that was a small letdown for me.

The Wrath and the Dawn was inspired by A Thousand and One Nights, but I wouldn't say it's a retelling. The motives, back story, and characters are different, although some are inspired by the original characters. Although I have heard of some of the stories, I haven't actually read A Thousand and One Nights but became so fascinated with it after reading this book that I actually watched the 2000 TV mini series Arabian Nights, which is essentially a retelling of the original tale... so yes, I loved this book!

For some reason, I didn't pay much attention to the prologue but turned back to the beginning after I had finished it, re-read the prologue, and was like whoa. I guess that's a good thing though, since it became all the more mysterious and suspenseful as the book went on. I found myself wanting answers as much as Shazi did. Renee is an excellent storyteller; there was rarely a dull moment and I found myself flipping through the pages much faster than I thought I would.

I also like how the book is written in third person; most of the YA novels I've read are in first person and sometimes it's frustrating to see only from the main character's point of view. I loved seeing things from Khalid's perspective and it gave the characters much more depth and we see their multiple dimensions so much more easily. Additionally, Renee does an excellent job with all of the characters' story arcs and intertwining them together later on (such as Shazi's dad, Tariq, and the main plot with Shazi and Khalid). In fact, reading this has made me realize that I like the third person perspective so much more than first person.

In terms of characters, Khalid is my favorite and his character development throughout is pretty great. I went from hating him, to pitying him, and then finally to just adoring him. I found most of the characters to be pretty interesting and I love how there are so many important supporting characters!

Overall, The Wrath and the Dawn is a beautiful story and Renee is one talented (and cruel - that ending!) writer; it's going right up to my list of "Favorites". :)
And that ending will make you want the second book, The Rose and the Dagger, ASAP. Trust me.

What a beautiful world and a beautiful story! This is a book full of mysteries, power, and delicious food. Shahrzad is a fierce heroine ready to take on the world. The unraveling of her life and her plan is written in a way that makes you ache for more. Khalid is a man of steel, whose breakdown is a glorious sight. Thank goodness I bought the second book at the same time I bought this one! I recommend this to anyone who loves to see a romance bloom out of a wedding in the first few chapters.

This was fabulous!! I am blown away! A fast paced fantastic read! Great characters, great plot.. Magic, romance, curses and kingdoms!! I loved the writing, descriptions of people places and things, and the chemistry between the characters!!! I can't wait to read the next one!

The Wrath and The Dawn is perfectly executed from cover to cover. The setting is a richly imagined backdrop for a cast of beautifully flawed characters. I couldn't put it down. My brain is bleeding adverbs because I want to say all the nice things without all the spoilery. And I can't stop thinking about it. Waiting for the sequel will be torture but this book was so worth the pain. Seriously, you must read this book. I received an ARC via a giveaway from her lovely agent Barbara Poelle and I seriously want to hug her even though I'm not that kind of girl and it's not that kind of party. THE WRATH AND THE DAWN is a romance wrapped up in a mystery pasted onto a backdrop of an exotic setting and tied neatly together with richly imagined characters and a steady pace that drags you through to the end--this story checks all the boxes.

I give this one all the stars. ALL THE STARS! *****

This is more of a 4.5 rating but i'm willing to give it five stars. Among the highly anticipated YA releases this year, this is the one that deserve it the most and probably should be getting more recognition.

Knowing this story is based on One Thousand and One Nights, it made the character and plot development in the first 100 pages of the book easier to accept and not fixate on them, but at the same time, it lessens the suspense when you know how the story is supposed to go.

Nevertheless, a lot of new elements were injected in the story, so it's not like it's a complete retelling. I loved every single character and I fell in love with each one of them, I can honestly say there's no character that I hate the writing of and each of them is nicely developed.

I fell in love with Shazi and Khalid as much as they quickly fell in love with each other. normally I hate it when characters just fall in love right away, but in this one, maybe because of how beautiful the prose is, I am buying whatever they are selling. What sets this apart from other YA books of its kind is that it doesn't shy away from sex, but it's not lewd or gratuitous. It's the kind of sex you'll read in a T-rated fanfiction.

The sexual tension between them, how they keep denying their feelings for each other, how their feelings are at odds with what they must do, it's star-crossed lovers/ us against the world to highest and i love every single minute of it.

There's a love triangle, but not really. There's this other love interest of Shazi who is her first love and best friend, Tariq. He's a wonderful guy and there's nothing about him I could hate, but at the same time, his relationship with Sharzi doesn't draw me in. Perhaps because theirs is such an overused trope, but one of my fave quotes was when Tariq was told that a shared and common history with Shazi doesn't reward him a future with her.

The writing, especially the dialogue, is so exquisite, and there's so many quotable quotes. I also love the writing of women in this book. The strong female friendships, rival love interests not out to be catty with each other, and how the men in their lives, at least the main characters, treat them as equals and with reverence, but still shows how women are oppressed in a patriachy. yes, during the first two nights of Khalid and Shazi, there's dubious consent when they had sex, and of course the mass sacrifice of young brides, but unlike say, An Ember in the Ashes, sex and rape is not the main driving force or major plot points in the character development of women.

And the food descriptions, omg. It reminds me of how food was described in the hunger games, and it's basically reading food porn.

And of course, the book is written by a WOC with characters of color set in the Middle East without giving it an ancient Rome setting like other YA fantasy does.

It's just so good, I can't wait for the next book!!!

This was absolutely breathtaking.

Love love love Shahrzad. She's strong and a bit snarky and just an absolutely fabulous MC. Her struggle to do what she thinks is right is intriguing to see unfold; I couldn't bear to put this book down.

There are a lot of other great characters: Khalid, Despina, and Jalel to name a few. All of them were just as entertaining for various reasons. I don't want to spoil anything.

The build up is sort of a delicious slow burn, which means the ending is explosive and quick. It is a bit of a cliffhanger; however, the set up for the next book is fantastic. It may possibly kill me to wait for it.

The descriptions are lush, the story is captivating and the characters are perfection. I couldn't have asked for anything better.

A fine novel, but not a brilliant one. The story moves along quickly, and is full of lovely details about the Middle East. But the language is overly flowery, to the point where it detracts from the story. If you can get past that, it's an interesting and engaging story - a quick read that you will enjoy, then forget about.

This story grabbed my attention from the first page. I am a sucker for re-tellings but often find myself skipping through them if the story is too close to the original. I read every page of this story.
There are enough similar elements that you get the original story but it is told in a new and exciting way. I don't know that I have ever read Arabian nights as much as seen movie adaptations of it. I believe parts of the story were told to me as a child but that memory is hazy at best.
The characters in this story are rich and easy to connect to. IT is clear that we do not know all of their reasons but that each character is clear in intention. Until they aren't.
I am looking forward to the continuation of the story.

Amazingly addictive story within a story.

From practically the first page I was riveted. We all know the gruesome tale of Sheharezad and the Caliph, who everyday would take a new wife, bed her and in the morning have her beheaded. But unlike the other fairytale of a murderous husband (I'm talking about Bluebeard) the king falls in love with his new bride and so decides not to kill her and they live happily ever after. What?!

When I was a child the ending of this story was enough, it made sense to me. I didn't wonder why the king kept killing his wives. I didn't think about what kind of world would allow a clearly mad king to kill the nation's daughters, one after another, each night without fail, without some sort of assassination attempt. Especially since he wasn't choosing enemies daughters, but the children of his country's nobility to marry and behead. The story was a bit scary and I liked that she saved herself by telling stories.

But now it seems like the story is ripe for a second look and The Wrath and the Dawn does more than that. It turns what was once a rather brief story about a brave woman who overcomes a death sentence and turns it into a solid mystery and dare I say, a romance.

With this much praise you might think I loved everything about the story, but there was just one thing that sorta bothered me.

Don't read past this if you don't want to read about a tiny bit of spoilery-ness.

Okay, you've been warned.

The sex scenes.

Each night the Caliph takes a new bride and he has a full on wedding night and then has them killed. Since the story is about the bride that lives, I think a little more about this part of their lives should be here, but it isn't. I mean it really really isn't, she mentions him getting up from the bed and getting dressed.

The missing sex scenes are sorta sorta mentioned in an offhand way, 'I wonder why he hasn't kissed me even though we've gotten up close and naked twice, hmmm, oh well, don't want to think about that anymore!" Now, I get it, this is a young adult book but the blithe and totally uncaring way that the main character twice got into bed with her murderous new husband seems downright strange to me.

I've often wondered about societies where arranged marriages are the norm. How do two people who don't know each other manage this part of their lives without creating angry rapey feelings? At the very least, there would be some awkwardness and resentment, but Shah (I'm going to call her this, her name is just too much to type out every time) seems more upset about the makeup, jewelry and clothing she has to wear than the sex with a stranger part of her new reality.

But other than this, the story and the developing mystery of the murderous Caliph moves along at a fast clip.

I had to look up some of the terms used in the book,mostly items of clothing that I was having trouble picturing. But this pretty much added to the realism of the story.

There's a lot happening in this book, so don't think you can read a page here and there with half your mind on other things. It is a blink and you'll miss it story. The action switches from her to her childhood love and to her father, it makes for an exciting crescendo.

Something else I really loved about the story are the side characters who add their attitudes and preconceived notions to the mystery that begins to unravel a bit everytime dawn brightens the sky and Shah's lifesaving story comes to an abrupt ending.

But the biggest draw of all is the Caliph. What kind of monster is he and how could Shah ever fall in love with him?

This book was well worth the wait and in a few weeks I will reread it, it is that good.

I really enjoyed this book. Aside from the book, I was really disappointed that this is the beginning of a series. Had I known that or if that info was more readily available (I had to go to the author's website for the projected release date of book 2), then I would've waited to read this book.
Critique-wise: this book was not a YA book to me, unless children are really advanced in cultural knowledge. Not to say that young adults can't read it but 12 year olds?...I don't know.

I'm a sucker for a romance novel, so I'm not too critical about the fact that this book reminds me of other stories. I do believe that this author is new and her voice is unique. She writes well and the book flows and is very entertaining.

There isn't really a monster ... But I was so upset that the next book wasn't out I transformed into one!! So the review .... What I didn't care for the book sort of lost me in the beginning. I was wondering who are these people. We know it's a story of 1001 Arabian nights so what's going on? Well don't let that put you off aside from that the book is fantastic. It weaves a story around what u know shaping into a whole new story .... About halfway through I noticed I was completely enthralled. Renee is a great storyteller ... And we need the next book now !!!!!! Also if your looking for a strict retelling of the story it's not ...its faithful in some places and terribly wrong in others. It's worth the read great for a Friday at home

It's Pride & Prejudice meets A Thousand and One Nights! True to the classic but Renee still makes her own voice heard - a retelling of the story made her own with I'll say some nice twists to it as well as learning about a culture and world immersed in the Far East, we feel, smell, taste, like we're all there. I look forward to the follow-up stories in this series.

Beautifully written and enthralling love story of the 'cruel' boy-king Khalid and the head-strong girl-brat Shahrzad.

The tale is loosely based on the original Arabian Nights and is just as enchanting as it is dark.

Stories within stories by Renee is absolutely engaging as Shahrzad mesmerize King Khalid with her stories, but yet as the nights passes, she finds herself falling in love with him and knowing his deep dark secret of being cursed by his dead wife's father. To kill a hundred to save thousands - night after night with a fair maiden, including Shahrzad's friend, to which is why Shahrzad volunteers to be the next wife-victim to seek revenge.

The twists and turns makes the reader hunger for more ...

This book was a 4-5 star tale until the last few pages, when it became obvious that the author had no intention of finishing the story in a satisfying manner. The names were a bit of a stumbling point for me--there were lots of them, and it was challenging to keep more than a few straight. The story is an Arabian Nights-based tale of a caliph killing his wives. Sharzhad (or some such spelling) tells a story that captures the caliph's imagination, and she is not executed at her first dawn. The writing is descriptive, but I would say this is not a book for less than older (17-18) high-school age, as there is both sex and some profanity. If the author chooses to continue the story, I would continue reading it; however, for what this is on its own, it was disappointing.

I loved this book and was engaged from page 1; The writing style is a little different then I am use to and you can get tripped up when the author list items by an unfamiliar name. I read this book in a day and book 2 in a day. I enjoyed telling me 10 year old all about it. I felt she was just to young to read.

An elegant and surprisingly romantic retelling of Sherherazade, The Wrath and the Dawn is an example of the sort of Young Adult novel that makes one wonder where adult literature went wrong. In the not so distant past this would have been openly marketed as regular literature.

On first opening it, I was not particularily enamored of the flowery prose which actually struck me as quite wooden, and I put it down. But later needing to write this review, I received this book as a review copy, I gave it a second shot and had to wonder what I was thinking earlier.

I didn't expect to fall in love with this novel as much as I did. Written with a beautiful detail and enough mystery and intrigue to keep the reader guessing. There better be a whole series to continue this character's vibrant story and to further delve into the world of these rich characters.

This book can be described in one word: beautiful.
The writing is beautiful. The story is beautiful. The characters are beautiful in their own ways. I finished this book in two days and cannot wait to read The Rose and the Dagger! This is retelling at its finest and the best retelling of Sharzhad and her tales that I've read so far.
I don't want to give anything away, but I'm very happy with how the story progressed and that the author did not toy with readers' emotions too terribly much like some other authors will do.
Short of it, read it! It will forever earn a respected place on your bookshelf!

At the beginning of this book, I highly doubted Ahdieh would be able to pull off such a retelling. By the end, she'd done it so magnificently I was shouting at thin air. This book brings ALL the feels.

What a mesmerizing tale about love, sacrifice and heart ache. A story filled with laughter, small acts of sweetness, intrigue, revenge and an underlying pain.

It was just...WOW! No other words can really summarize what Im feeling and thinking right now. Even after the book is finished my mind keeps mulling over the story.

I don't give 5 stars easily and its not even the type of story I will usually read, but this one is going on my list of favorite reads for 2015 with out a doubt and I definitely recommend everyone to read it.

Its a fairy tale, a love story, a somewhat horror story but overall an everlasting story, one you wont forget.

Review could be originally found in my blog twosistersbloggin.blogspot.com

This book was beautifully written. It's not too complex to the point that it'll give you headaches but it's not too simple either, it was perfect. I admire her writing and her ability to create such an interesting world. Her choice of words successfully paints the world she wants us to see, making it so easy for us to immerse ourselves to the world she created. The novel was fast-paced. I literally could not point out enough how astounding the world building was. It kinda reminds me of Aladdin. Reading this was a roller coaster of emotions.

I heard nothing but good things about this book, so I finally decided to see what the hype was all about. And of course, the cover was beautiful so obviously I couldn't resist. The names and the terms are a little bit hard to say and could be confusing at first but you will get used to it. Some of you may not get into it straight away, but give it a few pages and I'm sure you'll love it. I loved the Arabic culture in this novel, it's something we would not encounter a lot in YA books. It was definitely fun reading something different. Also, the words she used to describe the food was such a bonus: I could picture it and smell the scrumptious aroma which makes me hungry! She just makes everything sound so appetizing.

The story has two main characters. I love them both so much. Shahrzard. She reminds me of Celaena Sardothien. She gets things done, she makes things happen. I admire her intelligence, bravery and wit. She's honest and I love that the most about her. She takes no s*** from anyone, not even the Caliph. I have so much respect for her. With her relationship with Khalid, she was the stronger one. He was the first between the two of them to fall. She became his weakness. At first, I was stopping myself from falling for Khalid because how could I like someone who has done such monstrous things, a cold selfish killer. He was introduced as a character we should hate. But we only see a facade, what he wants us to see. He's just a boy-king with a lot of secrets. He has come to love Shahrzad and don't show ownership in her. He sees her as his equal. He's a completely different person when he's with her. Their relationship is a powerful one and their story is one of the best. He's such a flawed character and that just makes me love him more. I love how he never played the victim card despite his past. I love his view on love itself and how he calls Shazi "joonam" which means "my everything". So if it's not obvious yet, I really love Khalid.

I loved the friendship between Shahrzad and Despina and how it devoloped. From barely even trusting each other to i-will-punch-anyone-who-messes-with you. They were comfortable with each other that they don't even mind calling each other names and eventually they started confiding each other. They're also both badass, btw! One thing that bothered me though was the obvious love triangle smh. I just can't seem to like Tariq. When he sees Shahrzad with Khalid, he assumes that she was being brainwashed but he's wrong.

LET'S TALK ABOUT THE ENDING. Why must you do this to me, Renee!? Now I have to wait for like a year and that's just a really long time. But I guess the wait will be worth it. I feel like the second book is going to be in Khalid's pov. If you want to read something different and get a taste of another culture then I highly suggest that you pick this book up yourself. Give it a chance and you'll thank me later.

Ariana Delawari did a great job bringing the emotion to the book and making each scene exciting. However, occasionally the dramatic tone got a little out of hand, especially in the beginning. She would describe Shahrzad laying in bed with a tone of such intensity that it got a bit ridiculous.
That being said, once the plot got going, the audiobook was amazing, as well as the book. Delawari brought a lot of life to the telling of this story.
I wouldn't reread it just to listen to the audiobook version, but if you're already planning on listening to The Wrath and the Dawn, go ahead. It's a good version.

Enchanting, exotic, romantic beautiful story. I fell into this story and did not want to come out again. I was swept away to a world where the desert sky is so lush you can reach out and touch the stars. I will remember this story of Shahrzad and Khalid for ever.

There are a million resons to love this book (the gorgeous language, the vibrant descriptions, a fabulous cast of supprting characters), but my favorite thing about this book would have to be Shazi, the main character. Shahrzad is on a mission of revenge against the Caliph, who has been executing a new wife every dawn for several months, including her best friend. Shazi is willing to give up everything, including her fiance, her family, and her life for her revenge. Even when she begins to feel for Khalid, she is not dissuaded from her course. I found Shazi to be a wonderfully refreshing character in many aspects. Despite her feeling for Khalid, Shazi still maintains that his death is the best choice for the kingdom and is willing to do what must be done. She uses her wit and words as skillfully as her bow and arrow and proves herself a force to be reckoned with to everyone in the kingdom, especially Khalid's enemies. The rest of the characters are also great. Khalid is complex ad tortured in a way that is somehow less cliche and more interesting than almost all other love interests in YA novels that I have ever read. Jalal, Despina, Tariq, and Rahim all captured my attention and I was just as interested in their stories as that of Shazi and Khalid. All in all, this book was beautiful, enchanting, fascinating, and I highly reccomend it to anyone interested in gorgeous storytelling.

MaryAnn's Review:
This book, this book, this book! I loved this book so much. From the very first few pages to the very end, I was swept up in the amazing world and story created by Renee Ahdieh. It was impossible not to fall in love with all the characters, especially the “monster” boy-king Khalid.

Main character, Shahrzad, has a plan. She will do what it takes to avenge the murder of her best friend Shiva. A death that was carried out by the king, Khalid. In order to follow through, she volunteers herself as the next “queen” and face Khalid and hope that she survives past dawn.

With her mesmerizing storytelling ability, Shahrzad has not only bought herself more dawns and time, but she seems to have captured the attention and heart of Khalid. When Shahrzad sees Khalid in a different light than that of which she has only known, her interest in Khalid grows, which not only surprises her, but surprises also the king and those around them.

But the new life that Shahrzad is creating for herself is one that her past relationships will not understand. As Shahrzad gets closer to Khalid, Tariq (a man who Shahrzad has been in love with since she was 12 and hasbeen good friends with) sets out to rescue his love, and to kill the monster boy-king. A king who kills a different wife every day, and whom he fears will kill his beloved Shahrzad.

With an old love coming to save her from a life that she doesn’t want to leave, and a king who has a secret so dark that the truth may only seal his fate, Shahrzad’s loyalties are tested, and what she finds is something she did not expect to find.

I just have to say it again. I loved this book so much! What I loved the most was the way the author brought forth so many different emotions in me. For example, in the beginning, the reader is taught to believe in one “side” of Khald, Caliph of Khorasan, the King of Kings, the monster boy-king. The unforgiving, brutal, savage beast that is known to kill an innocent woman every night with no remorse and no regrets. That no woman is safe and that all should live in fear.

But as we progress through the book, the truths that Shahrzad learns are ones that of course the reader learns too. Shahrzad’s eyes are opened, as were mine! She slowly fell, and so did I. I came to adore Khalid and felt so much pain and sorrow for him. To have lived through what he has had to live through, to have so much burden on his shoulders and knowing that the only way to make things right is to do something that he does not want to do.

I also fell in love with his words, and the way he speaks to Shahrzad. It showed us the softer side of Khalid that you can’t help but adore. He is sweet and tender, and conflicted and trying to be a better man…for her. His Queen… his joonam.

And for those of you looking for a headstrong female lead, then Shahrzad is the one for you! She will not rollover and give up. She fights for what she wants, successfully might I add. She is smart and calculating, and is no dummy. She sees what’s before her and understands what needs to be done, and still she continues to be strong and unafraid. I thoroughly enjoyed her character too!

Not only were the main characters an amazing pairing, but the other characters in the book were just as memorable. They all clicked together, like a good movie pairing should. In fact, what would I not give to see this book become a movie! If it played out exactly how I pictured it in my mind as I was reading, then it will definitely be an epic film.

The writing style of author, Renee Ahdieh, was flawless and flowed smoothly from chapter to chapter. The interactions between the characters were realistic in feeling and is what made the book for me. I also enjoyed the “story within a story” feel in the beginning when Shahrzad had to weave her tales to save her life.

I recommend this book to readers that are looking for something that will carry them away to a world that is unforgettable, and to find characters that I dare you not to love.

Gabby's Review:
If you’ve heard of the Arabian Nights (or A Thousand and One Nights) then you already know the premise of author Renee Ahdeih’s The Wrath & The Dawn. If you haven’t heard of the Arabian Nights, then simply imagine this: a kingdom ruled by a king who marries a new girl each day only to murder her the following dawn.

Shahrzad, is the next girl meant to wed him but unlike the others, Shazi has a plan meant to ensure her survival and the king’s downfall. If that doesn’t already intrigue you then I don’t know what will. Ahdeih’s The Wrath & The Dawn is a novel that grips you right from the very beginning and never lets you go.

After the murder of her best friend at the Caliph of Khorasan’s hand, Shahrzad creates an elaborate plan that will ensure her vengeance. Agreeing to wed the Caliph next, Shahrzad survives through telling him stories and barely finishing them as dawn arrives, allowing herself a new day to survive. While disorder brews within the Khorasan and the people closest to Shazi plot a way to return her home, she finds herself growing unwillingly closer to the Caliph—Khalid: a man who first appears to be a monster has the potential to be something else entirely. There are bits of humanity beneath his calloused exterior and as Shazi delves deeper into the mystery behind the murders at dawn, the more she finds herself falling for her husband, the Caliph, and questioning her own sinister intentions.

Immediately it’s Ahdeih’s writing that grips readers and never lets them go. Her prose is fluid and elegant. Each word exquisitely chosen and pulling the story forward. Every detail is beautifully described and leaves everything and nothing to the imagination. The Wrath & The Dawn is a well-written, lyrical story that leaves readers guessing and on the edge of their seats until the very last page. We watch Shazi’s life within the Caliph’s palace; we witness the beginnings of a rebellion with her childhood friend and love Tariq; readers are left to wonder what could possibly come next out of all this.

The storytelling in The Wrath & The Dawn brings the characters to life. Every character in the entire cast from the Theban handmaiden Despina to our protagonist Shazi to the Caliph himself, all hold an aura of realism that is seldom seen in fiction. It’s wonderful and instantly makes you connect with the characters. In a novel where a king kills a bride each day at dawn, readers can only wonder if everyone will make it out of the story with their lives. This only adds to the suspense.

The Wrath & The Dawn has it all. Romance. Action. Adventure. Thrills. Plot twists. Even elements of magic. It’s a novel that has something for everyone. Not to mention the “will they won’t they” chemistry between Shazi and Khalid leaves you questioning your morals. Can you really fall in love with a man (and character) who murdered the protagonist’s best friend? Can you really fall in love with the monster and the man inside? Is there more to it? The mystery leaves you reeling! And once the truth is revealed… Such a good book. Hands down, The Wrath & The Dawn is one of the best releases of 2015.

I would recommend The Wrath & The Dawn to readers who are looking for a novel that they can genuinely lose themselves in. Readers who are looking for a lengthy novel that they could very easily finish in one siting should also give it a look. Readers who are fans of stories that include romance, action, and mystery with some fantastical elements will fall in love with The Wrath & The Dawn.

Warning: This book ends with a cliffhanger, so it's apparently to be a series.

The Wrath and the Dawn is a re-telling of Arabian Nights. I've only read bits and pieces of that book, but I was still able to appreciate both the familiar parts and the creative twists the author took with this book.

It took me to the halfway point to really get into it. I didn't hate it by any means, but it just moves somewhat slow for what I was expecting. There are hints that a great deal of fantasy elements might be in the next book(s), but the fantasy part was really very mild within this one. I have to admit, I was disappointed in that. There were little hints along that something big was about to happen, but it seems most of the action/fantasy will happen in the next book(s).

I also had a hard time liking the characters at first. The halfway point is about when I started to like them, and when I started to feel and understand the love/fondness between two of the characters. Before that, Shahrzad(Shazi) is just angry and wasn't all that likeable. Khalid was more behind the scenes than anything. The story mainly focuses on Shazi's point of view, but it changes occasionally to show a different person's point of view. It just took some time for them to grow on me, and understand why there was any fondness at all. It also took time for me to keep the characters straight in my mind. I typically do fine with keeping up with lots of characters within a story, and there are a good bit in this story. When their names aren't all that common in my part of the world, it's always a little harder to familiarize in my mind. Also, the fact that each of the characters were called by multiple names, based on cultural traditions and just nicknames, etc., things get more difficult for my brain. I had to flip back and forth a few times to figure out exactly which character I was reading about. That said, I did greatly enjoy the change of scenery and the chance to see a different culture than the average old YA fiction.

Once I settled into the story, I couldn't wait to read to the end. I enjoyed it, and just wish there was actually an ending, instead of the cliffhanger I got. I AM looking forward to reading more, and I definitely plan on reading the next book(s). It ended up being a dark, yet lovely and romantic story!

Content:
Pretty clean. B++t++d is used several times, and a++ a couple of times, but that's it as far as profanity goes. There are a few sex scenes(within marriage). 2 are completely off screen, and one is mostly off screen. (A little passionate kissing before fading to black) There's a bit of dark magic, but it seems more of a setup for the rest of the series. There's also some violence, but nothing over the top.

I really didn't know what to expect with this book. I had actually read the sample a few months ago and wasn't sure about it. I am so mad I waited to read this! It was everything! I cannot recommend this book enough. Loved it!

Before this book I had no desire to read A Thousand and One Nights. This book was inspired by it and I found the premise so intriguing. This boy king killing all his wives...but you get a little from him that makes you think it isn't so much his choice. The girl whose best friend was a former wife and her vow to kill the murderous boy king. She survives night after night by telling him stories and they start to understand each other like no one else does. There is a lot that is set up in this book and it is not paid off yet. I'm looking forward to book 2 and finding out more answers and secrets. Fantastic book!

To start off the writing is top notch. I liked writing style.

I truly do like both of our leads, and adored the secondary characters as well.

But there were times when I was just so frustrated with our leads and their reasoning behind some questionable decisions. First off, I'm not sure why Shazi felt the need to take archery lessons from Jalal initially. I mean she knows she can hit a target with her eyes closed. I don't think public practice is needed. I suppose it was just so we could get a fun rendition twenty questions later. Secondly, huge secret Khalid was guarding for the majority of the book, I know that it is in fact a burden to bear but I found myself waiting and waiting for him to tell Shazi the truth. A truth I think most readers figured out or at least were close to figuring out long before it was finally revealed. If was frustrating because at they both clearly already following their hearts might as well just take the plunge. At least then she'd have confirmation that he wasn't a monster.

In terms of their person conflicts, at least they never seemed to last all too long. Also, thankfully, Khalid loved Shazi enough to not jump the gun after the truth about her history was revealed and was literally willing to die for her happiness. And Shazi was willing to look past her initial vengeance and see Khalid for more than he appeared to be. So inspite of some flaws they both clearly loved each other a lot and that helped. Because if there's one thing I hate it's people claiming to love each other yet doubting each other at every turn.

It was fortunate to see that Shazi, despite being an "outsider", had some allies in the palace other than Khalid. Those being Jalal and Despina. The fact that Jalal trusted Shazi at the end and knew in his heart that her love for his cousin was true had me breathing such a sign of relief. The fact that Jalal is so fiercely loyal Khalid, trusting of Shazi and willing to do whatever it takes to protect his family speaks volumes about him. Which is one reason he may very well be a my favorite character. But what he said to Tariq at the end had me wanting to bash my head against a wall. Like what!? After that damn confrontation you're just gonna let her go with them? What was the point of stopping them in the first place? Well at least Jalal can forever remind Khalid that Shazi sees the palace, sees him, as her home. I know her departure is suppose to be for the best somehow, but by god if Shazi does not return after seeking out her father heads will roll. I will make it happen somehow.

I do feel pity for Tariq in all of this though. He is willing to go to war for a girl he loves above all else. A girl who once loved him as well. Who, under different circumstances, may very well have married him. But alas despite her best efforts Shazi loves Khalid, and I'm not sure how she's going to react when she finds out all the wretched dealings her loved ones have made to steal the throne from her beloved.

Point is I really did enjoy this book and am eager to see how the story concludes. I pray that somehow our characters meet a happy end. Though I know there will be some damage I really just want Khalid and Shazi & Jalal and Despina to make it out of this alive and happy. Please author please.

The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh pulled me in immediately. This fairytale is part of a series, which I didn't realize until towards the end of the book. Full of intrigue, The Wrath of Dawn is a mystery involving the death of several brides to the young king. The main character, Shahrzad wants to seek revenge for her best friend's death. Because of this, she volunteers to marry the king. The characters are dynamic, fun and interesting and the storyline is set just right to keep the reader involved and interested to the end. I am looking forward to the sequel, The Rose and Dagger.

This story is about Khalid, the Caliph of Khorasan, who takes a new bride each night only to have her executed at sunrise. When Shahrzad's friend becomes the Caliph's victim, Shazi volunteers herself with a plan to outwit the evil ruler and exact revenge. In a similar way to Keturah and Lord Death, Shazi extends her date with death by telling Khalid a story and promising only to reveal what happens next if he should let her live another day.

As it turns out, of course, nothing is as it first seems and Khalid is hiding many secrets. The relationship between the two develops from seething hatred (on Shazi's part) to reluctant companions to something much more. I've been craving a romance that feels genuine in its development and actually has me wondering how things will turn out (and, god help me, the jury's still out on that last point). The dialogue between them is addictive and feels natural... and don't you just love stories within stories?

I really didn’t know what to expect from The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh. I read the blurb a long time ago and forgot most of it. So I went into it with fresh eyes and was quickly swept away in this unique new young adult novel.

The story starts fast and doesn’t really explain much back story until later. It works for this book. I was too caught up in the story to wonder about the history for the most part. I wouldn’t have minded a bit more information on Khalid’s rise to the throne, but that was a very minor issue that I can easily look over.

The elements that made The Wrath and the Dawn utterly captivating were Shahrzad, Khalid, and their romantic tension. My god was that some good tension! I’m so happy that they didn’t spend the entire book fighting against their feelings. Sure Shazi had her hangups and guilt but she didn’t dwell on it endlessly. That was so refreshing. I really couldn’t help falling right along side Shazi. Khalid is such a fabulous character. He has secrets and the weight of the world on his shoulders. It makes him such a intriguing character. Shazi is just as amazing. She’s so brave and you can’t help but love her quick wit and sharp tongue.

The world in The Wrath and the Dawn is another extraordinary element to the story. I’m not really familiar with Arabian Nights, but I feel like Renee Ahdieh created something beautiful with this book. The world is so lush and I can’t wait to find out more!

Obviously I loved it. I think you probably will too. The Wrath and the Dawn is definitely the most compelling book I’ve read in awhile. I’m so happy it’s the start of a new series because I need more!

The Wrath and the Dawn is full of rich prose, middle eastern culture, love, betrayal, tension, adventure and mystery. The protagonist, Shazi, is strong and beautiful and brave. She can also be obnoxious, seems like she's spoiled but good-hearted. She wants revenge for her friend, but her heart wants to believe the monster is a decent man. Between Shazi's inner struggles and her fight to live, this story will keep anyone entertained.

So why only 4 stars? The beginning is a confusing, jumping around too much. The ending is tied together too quickly and weak.

Wrath of Dawn, how could you do this to me? How could be... unfinished... when clearly you present yourself as a stand alone novel? I thought we went into this relationship with clear expectations. But no! No, you drew me with mischief and stories of the desert and madmen and magic. You made me love your cursed king and your wicked silver tongued heroine! And then you just abandon me in a burning city with no resolution. Betrayal! Now I have to wait for book two? Of how many? For how long?! ARRRGH! The evil... the unspeakable evil... (P.S. congratulations on your stunning debut novel, Mrs. Ahdieh, it deserves all its accolades and more!)

Oh my. This book is filled with tension, suspense, confliction. I had seen positive reviews for The Wrath and the Dawn, but honestly, I didn't expect to like it as much as I did. Yet I loved everything about it. A lot. It is so richly and beautifully written, with amazing characters, an in depth look at Persian culture, and tons of intrigue and angst (but only the best kind).

Shahrzad is a strong, fierce character driven first by revenge and later by love. She stands out in a time when women were suppose to be submissive and silent. Khalid is the quiet, brooding, broken boy-king who you want to hate, but like Shahrzad, find yourself falling for. There is so much more to his story than what meets the eye. And the side characters, Jalal, Despina, even the Rajput, were comic relief and also great friends to the Shahrzad and Khalid.

I am not always a fan of third person POV, but it worked so wonderfully here; being able to see inside the minds and actions of not only Shahrzad and Khalid, but also many of the minor characters created a fuller, more well-rounded picture. My only lament is that I have to wait until May for the second book.

It's the end of August and I read this in June, but it is so far my favorite read of 2015!

I love books that are retellings of old stories, so I was excited about a retelling of A Thousand and One Nights, but didn't know how it would work.

I got hopefully addicted.

The beginning started out strange because there are words in another language, but I eventually realized there is a glossary and caught on. After that? I was in love.

I can't wait for book 2 so I can know more about the story.

Whoa, what a great spin to be given to 1001 Nights!

I was in awe of the descriptions presented in this book. The world building and the writing were flawless. It made me feel like I was watching the story unfold just in front of my eyes.

If you have read 1001 Nights you know that Shahrazad keeps herself alive by entertaining the king with amazing stories every night. This is pretty much what the heroine in this book does.

Khalid is the Caliph of Khorasan. He is only eighteen but he has been married more than 70 times. Khalid marries a new young woman every day to have them killed before sunrise.

Shahrzad’s best friend Shiva was one of the women who perished under Khalid’s hands. Shahrzad volunteers herself to be the next wife. She only has revenge on her mind. Shahrzad is determined to make him pay for all the horror he has brought to the city and for all the lives of all the women who have died by his command.

However, not everything is the way it seems. Khalid is hiding a secret and Shahrzad is determined to learn it. In the meantime, she has to remain alive. She not only has to fear the dawn but also the multiple attempts on her life from unseen enemies.

The Wrath and the Dawn made me fall in love with these characters. Shahrzad was a strong, determined and very bright young woman. She tried to learn as much as she could in very little time of how to manage Caliph. Khalid had a lot of blood on his hands. Despite him having his reasons for what he was doing, I still wasn’t pleased with the why. Don’t get me wrong I still fell for him. He was doing what he thought was best.

As for the secondary characters, Jalal and Despina were both a perfect addition. I wish I could get more on their backstory.
In regards to Tariq, he loved Shahrzad and he was trying to fight for her. There was nothing wrong in that except Khalid had already taken my heart. I hope he finds peace too.

Cliffhanger: Yes

4/5 Fangs

WOW!! I have seen some pretty stellar reviews for this title and I was a little worried that it would be a disappointment, but nope! This was everything I was hopping for and more!

I am loving the new setting that are popping up in YA as of late and this one is a great addition to that diversity shelf. The storyline itself was fun and well fantastic honestly. I don't think I would change a thing! The characters were fierce, the story was wickishly amazing, and yes I will say it again the setting was gorgeous! I am so glad I got my hands on this title and I cannot wait for the sequel!

Oh and one more thing the writing! This author has an incredible way with words! I found myself captivated from the start and I easily fell into the story. I promise you won't want to pass this one up!

This is truly an amazing book. The story line and the plot twists are well done as is the writing. Definitely a good read! Would've giving it 5 stars but some of the content of the book is difficult to read.

The beginning of the story was a bit confusing, but as it reads on the puzzle pieces fall into place. The writing style was so enticing and unique. The characters were engaging....I just can't wait to get my hands on the next book!

Meh. Boiled down to its essence, this is a bodice ripper written by an amateur (and still immature) writer-wannabee. It lacks nuance, subtley and forward motion. I'm an adult reader of YA, and I prefer books that go beyond the prepubescent girl swoony-stuff. This book does not deliver. Girls do have other interests beyond boys and being catty to other girls....but the author doesn't seem to have experienced anything beyond that.

I absolutely adored this book! I always had an fascination for Arabian folklore, and this book is a great addition to that collection! I actually loved everything about it! The characters were perfect, the story was well written, the scenery was absolutely breathtaking (even in my imagination) and I just want to eat all the food that was described :').
Can't wait to read second book!

With a desire to avenge the death of her dearest friend along with the many others murdered at the request of the Caliph, Shahrzad volunteers to become his next victim-bride and put an end to the senseless death of so many. Shahrzad is giving up more than just her future becoming the wife of a murderer, she's also giving up her one true love. As the story unfolds, we are beguiled by Shahrzad's storytelling and catch a glimpse inside the heart of the Caliph. Is he really so cruel? Or is he under a curse that only Shahrzad can break? I will admit the story unfolds so perfectly you feel yourself drawn in by the characters and setting. You will find yourself crying for the injustice of true love spurned, forbidden love and a deep heartache for letting someone you so desperately love go. The story weaved itself together like magic and I could see just about everything described. I was entranced by Shahrzad's storytelling as she found herself fighting for her life and consequently falling for the "evil villain." I found myself embracing not just the two main title characters but every last person I met throughout the pages of this wonderful story. I'm looking forward to a second to the series as there must be one with such an open ending. I have to know ... and I hate that I have to wait to know. There better be a second book and it better come out soon.

What a captivating, page turner! I just stayed up all night reading this amazing book! It held my attention from page one, until the last word! My jaw aches from grinding my teeth from the anticipation for what was to happen throughout the book! I really can't express how much I enjoyed this book! Now I can't wait until The Rose and The Dagger is released!!! Which I already pre-ordered so it will be at my house on release day!

I enjoyed the story, it's entertaining and well written. The narrator however made it very difficult to enjoy. She has a good voice, descriptive narrative was good but she has no range for the characters, everyone speaks with the same voice which made it difficult and hard to follow what was going on. Would be much better with a different narrator.

While I admire the attempt, I have some problems with this rewrite of the frame story from The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night: With Introduction Explanatory Notes on the Manners and Customs of Moslem Men and a Terminal Essay Upon The History of the Nights (17 Volume Set). Some of the changes make the love story harder, not easier to believe, and the indications this is the first book in a series don't help.

I can't even begin to tell you how much I love this book! If you're into smiling like an idiot to yourself, I can guarantee this book will do it for you. This book literally gave me butterflies and countless times i buried my face in between the pages cause it gave me such raw emotion. Headstrong, defiant, quick witted girls make me feel some type of way.

This YA novel will remind you of the classic Arabian Nights story, but don't expect it to be that much of a modern retelling of the classic. It's a very entertaining book by its own merits. There is a feeling that it may be the first of a trilogy or series due to some incidents towards story's end. If so, any sequels will also be worth reading. Recommended for teen agers and adults.

Amazing! I could not put the book down. What really garnered my attention was the fact that this book is so very diverse. Ahdieh indulged us in a rich culture and customs, all while creating this intriguing and complex story to share. Not to mention the writing was captivating and characters believable in every aspect. Loved it!

I read this book when I was on a busy working vacation, and I really shouldn't have, because while I should've been being productive, I couldn't stop thinking about this story. Shazi is utterly compelling--strong, witty, and relatable. The writing itself is absolutely gorgeous and the romance? Thinking about it just now made my pulse quicken. It's richly imagined and beautiful and wrapped my heart up so hard that I had a hard time reading ANYTHING else for a while after. Highly, highly, highly recommend. One of my favorites I've read all year.