“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.”
“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.”
Title: The Wrath and The Dawn
Author: Renee Ahdieh
Release Date: May 2015
Pages: 388
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?
My Review
⭐⭐⭐⭐
“You have a beautiful laugh. Like the promise of tomorrow.”
This enchanting story is a retelling of A Thousand and One Nights. Renee Ahdieh has woven a story of action and romance and a perfect blend of fantasy. This is not your usual lovey-dovey romance.
Mostly Spoiler Free Review
The relationship starts out as pure hatred on Shazi’s part which gradually develops into something else (yass, love!!).
When Shazi’s friend, Shiva, has been killed at the boy-king’s hands, Shazi vows vengence to deliver the same fate on the boy-king. She volunteers to become the wife of Khorasan’s ruler and concocts a plan to kill her to-be-husband while leaving behind her childhood paramour, Tariq.
Each night, Shazi weaves tale after tale and leaves them midway which makes the king more and more curious to know the ending. As she lives in the palace, Shazi starts learning about deeply buried secrets and as she gets Khalid, the boy-king, to open up to her, she realizes that the circumstances forced him to become what he is: a monster. Her monster.
The characters seem overly-mature for their age in the novel. You won’t feel as if Shazi is 16. The characters in the background aren’t their just for show. Their character development has been well thought out. Despina, Shazi’s handmaid, is a beautiful and sassy force to be reckoned with and is not afraid to speak her mind. The focus on their friendship is beautiful with quips from both the sides. Jalal is also a smart and protective character who doesn’t let his feelings come in between of his task.
The writing is very sophisticated and beautiful. It reminds of languages associated with Islam; the royal feel to it and the panache. The dialogues have been constructed beautifully and almost lyrically. They are not the usual cringe worthy and cliched ones; they feel as if they truly mean something which makes the reading experience all the more worthwhile.
This book is seriously unputdownable and you will devour it! Happy Reading 🙂
“And he smiled a smile to shame the sun.”
Kaleidoscopic Nerdy 