The Wrath & the Dawn
by Renée Ahdieh
May 12, 2015
404 pages
One Life to One Dawn.
In a land ruled by a murderous boy-king, each dawn brings heartache to a new family. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, is a monster. Each night he takes a new bride only to have a silk cord wrapped around her throat come morning. When sixteen-year-old Shahrzad's dearest friend falls victim to Khalid, Shahrzad vows vengeance and volunteers to be his next bride. Shahrzad is determined not only to stay alive, but to end the caliph's reign of terror once and for all.
Night after night, Shahrzad beguiles Khalid, weaving stories that enchant, ensuring her survival, though she knows each dawn could be her last. But something she never expected begins to happen: Khalid is nothing like what she'd imagined him to be. This monster is a boy with a tormented heart. Incredibly, Shahrzad finds herself falling in love. How is this possible? It's an unforgivable betrayal. Still, Shahrzad has come to understand all is not as it seems in this palace of marble and stone. She resolves to uncover whatever secrets lurk and, despite her love, be ready to take Khalid's life as retribution for the many lives he's stolen. Can their love survive this world of stories and secrets?
Review
The Wrath and the Dawn is a backlist title which now that I have read, I can see why it held so much hype back in 2015. The more I read, the more sucked into the story I was.
What I Liked:
- learning a new culture and its unique vocabulary
- the book is full of emotions, especially torturous ones
- Shahrzad is brash but I admire her boldness
- the stories Shazi told were variations of tales we know
- they were all relevant
- the impenetrable yet also vulnerable Khalid
- Jalal's loyalty to his family
- Despina is so much fun
- the food descriptions made my mouth water
The Not So Much:
- Tariq, I know he meant well but please go away
- this was very much a first book because that cliffhanger ending was not nice
"...For without a measure of arrogance, how can one attempt the impossible?" (p. 42).
"A shared history does not entitle you to a future, my friend." (p. 295).
I didn't quite enjoy this one when I read it. But I'm glad you did. I think it's just a genre I don't enjoy.
ReplyDeleteAww ya I can understand that. Gotta read what your heart desires ;)
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