The Rose & the Dagger

Author: Renee Ahdieh

Series: The Wrath & the Dawn #2

Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Retelling

Release Date: April 26, 2016

Summary: In a land on the brink of war, Shahrzad has been torn from the love of her husband Khalid, the Caliph of Khorasan. She once believed him a monster, but his secrets revealed a man tormented by guilt and a powerful curse -- one that might keep them apart forever. Reunited with her family, who have taken refuge with enemies of Khalid, and Tariq, her childhood sweetheart, she should be happy. But Tariq now commands forces set on destroying Khalid's empire. Shahrzad is almost a prisoner caught between loyalties to people she loves. But she refuses to be a pawn and devises a plan.

While her father, Jahandar, continues to play with magical forces he doesn't yet understand, Shahrzad tries to uncover powers that may lie dormant within her. With the help of a tattered old carpet and a tempestuous but sage young man, Shahrzad will attempt to break the curse and reunite with her one true love.

Review: Wow! I mean, wow! What an intense and completely amazing sequel! I had been anxiously awaiting the release of this novel for quite some time now and was completely overjoyed after purchasing my copy and basically floating out of the bookstore! And that cover?!? I mean, come on, it's GORGEOUS!!!

Ahdieh did an incredible job of continuing Shazi and Khalid's story. The transition from the first novel to the second was seamless, starting one week after the end of The Wrath & the Dawn. The pacing in this novel seemed slightly, slightly, slower than the first. I like to just attribute that to the fact of Shazi and Khalid not being with each other for quite some time . . .  let's just say I had a bit of a rough time adjusting . . .

In some ways I felt that certain parts/topics of this novel were drug out while others felt extremely rushed, but then again, what novel doesn't have at least one downside (if you could call it that). Ahdieh also introduced some new and intriguing topics and characters that I ended up falling in love with! Artan, one of said characters who joined us for the second installment, I rather enjoyed. He was witty and brought a necessary comical aspect to the novel. 

The Rose & the Dagger was filled with tons of action as well as some surprising twists! There was some heartbreak (especially towards the end) where a few tears may have been shed. But I have to say, I was extremely pleased with the epilogue! I felt like it was the icing on the cake and closed out this duology the way it deserved! An absolutely enchanting read!!

The Wrath & the Dawn

Author: Renee Ahdieh
Series: The Wrath and the Dawn #1
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Retelling
Release Date: May 12, 2015
Summary: 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.
Review: First of all, I am sorry I haven't posted in a while! I took a short hiatus (due to a reading slump). Thankfully, I overcame that slump by reading, The Wrath and the Dawn. Okay, this book was . . . ABSOLUTELY AMAZING AND FASCINATING AND EVERYTHING GRAND!! It makes me feel like this when I think about it.

For the past couple of weeks I have been on a fantasy kick! Needless to say, nothing was satisfying my craving until I got this book in the mail, thanks to Uppercase! I had heard nothing about it, surprisingly, and just decided to sit down and start reading without any expectations or notions. That was probably the best decision I've made. After simply reading the first page I was hooked with the writing style, setting of the story, and uniqueness of it all. Although, this did end up being a little frustrating due to the fact that I had a difficult time pronouncing some of the characters names.

Aside from that slight frustration, this book was F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S!!! I love love loved (!!) everything about it. Shazi was such a kick butt main character! Her attitude and wit had me rooting for her from our first encounter. Shazi was such an impeccable main character and was so well written. I thoroughly enjoyed reading from her perspective

Khalid. OH Khalid. Although you had a very ogre-ish attitude at the beginning, I couldn't help but fall in love with you along with Shazi. You made me swoon, and sigh, and wish that you were real so that I could steal you for my own! I adored you so much and you didn't ever let me down!! *sigh* Khalid was such a great love interest! The mystery surrounding him was irresistible and held my attention for quite some time. Seriously though, I'm basically in love with Khalid.

Overall, this was an incredible read as I have already stated. It may or may not be my favorite book of the year thus far. One that you need to put on your to-read list immediately!! I can almost guarantee that you will not be disappointed with this action-packed, plot twisting, romantic fantasy!! I'm desperately awaiting the debut of book 2, The Rose and the Dagger!!