Quick Thoughts: The Rose & the Dagger (The Wrath & the Dawn #2) by Renée Ahdieh

The Rose & the Dagger
(The Wrath & the Dawn #2)

by Renée Ahdieh

April 26, 2016

416 pages

Goodreads Summary:

The darker the sky, the brighter the stars.

In a land on the brink of war, Shahrzad is forced from the arms of her beloved husband, the Caliph of Khorasan. She once thought Khalid a monster—a merciless killer of wives, responsible for immeasurable heartache and pain—but as she unraveled his secrets, she found instead an extraordinary man and a love she could not deny. Still, a curse threatens to keep Shazi and Khalid apart forever.

Now she’s reunited with her family, who have found refuge in the desert, where a deadly force is gathering against Khalid—a force set on destroying his empire and commanded by Shazi’s spurned childhood sweetheart. Trapped between loyalties to those she loves, the only thing Shazi can do is act. Using the burgeoning magic within her as a guide, she strikes out on her own to end both this terrible curse and the brewing war once and for all. But to do it, she must evade enemies of her own to stay alive.

The saga that began with The Wrath and the Dawn takes its final turn as Shahrzad risks everything to find her way back to her one true love again.

Review

With duology/series endings, I admit I'm more often than not never 100% satisfied. But with The Rose and the Dagger I can easily say that it was a perfect ending. And I'd love for a spinoff series please!

What I Liked:

- the chapter titles made sense and told of what's to come

- multiple POVs- each voice was clear

- Shahrzad and Khalid's unwavering devotion to each other

- Irsa and the small role she played

- Despina and her surprises

- the bald boy and the winged serpent were nice additions

- the simple yet powerful magic

- I normally don't like redeeming villains but the author does a good job of convincing me of this one character

- a well-rounded ending

The Not So Much:

- I know they're only the side characters but I could've done with more Despina and Jalal XD

- a death that surprised me and is going to take some time to get over

"For a mistake was only a mistake if it was left to remain so." (p. 74).