littleread1
Written on Jul 22, 2017
Instant New York Times Bestseller
The much anticipated sequel to the breathtaking The Wrath and the Dawn, lauded by Publishers Weekly as "a potent page-turner of intrigue and romance."
I am surrounded on all sides by a desert. A guest, in a prison of sand and sun. My family is here. And I do not know whom I can trust.
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.
- ISBN10 0399171622
- ISBN13 9780399171628
- Publish Date 26 April 2016
- Publish Status Active
- Publish Country US
- Imprint Nancy Paulsen Books
- Format Hardcover (Deckle Edge)
- Pages 432
- Language English
- URL https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780399171628
Reviews
Chelsea
Written on Jul 18, 2017
- The whole idea of this story is pretty great. It's whimsical but not so much that it's unbelievable. There was a little magic here and there but the plot wasn't depending on the use of magic which was a nice change.
- Loved that we go to see more of Shazi's family this time. Her sister especially! And all her interactions with Khaled were adorable and perfect.
- I was glad we got to see even more characters in this book. They story is no longer centred on Shazi.
- The romance was just as cute as the first book thankfully! It wasn't cheesy but it also wasn't too steamy for a YA book. Though there wasn't as much romance in this book.
- The last 30% was insane. I wasn't expecting any of those plot twists and they blew my mind!
What I Didn't Like
- I still don't like Tariq. I wish he was less annoying.
- I hate how in every YA sequel the main couple are never together in the first 60% of the book. This sequel sadly fell into that trap.
- The first little bit of the book was a little slow and boring. It took me some time to really get into it and I was not a fan of the drawn out war camp scenes.
jeannamichel
Written on Jun 11, 2017
KitsuneBae
Written on May 26, 2017
blackbibliophile
Written on May 25, 2017
nitzan_schwarz
Written on Feb 12, 2017
Reading this book was an absolute joy, and a wonderful finale to Shazi and Khalid's story. It's been a long time since I breathed such a satisfied sigh at the end of a series. Although... I don't feel like we are nearly done with this world. There are so many aspects and stories left to explore that I am filled with hope that Ahdieh will expand on this world and give me more!
The Wrath & The Dawn ended on a somewhat dire note for our heroine, so I was a bit worried for Shazi, but it seems like I forgot who I was dealing with here. Shazi is as strong and stubborn as ever, and a mere curse is not going to be what stops her from helping her loved ones!
Now Khalid... if you had told me last week that I would fall head over heels in love with a murdering king, I would have laughed in your face. Joke's on me, because I fell, and fell hard. This guy is so precious and needs to be protected and loved openly and freely to heal his broken soul! Luckily, Shazi is very open to doing exactly that.
Together, these two are #relationshipgoals. Seriously, they just... understand each other. There is no unnecessary trust issues or misunderstandings between them. They don't rely on words to send their message across. And they would never, ever do anything to hurt the other... even emotionally. And if that means forgiving your wife's ex... so be it.
Speaking of said ex... I finally love the guy! Tariq had to work in order to win me over, but I'm happy with the outcome. A guy I didn't have to work hard to love? Tariq's bestie, Rahim! He's a total book-boyfriend, and an instant fave with his laid back and funny commentary, combined with his unwavering loyalty. The way he was with Irsa? Total perfection!
On the point of Irsa, what a pleasant surprise she was! As different from her older sister as the sea is to the dessert, yet just as fierce and formidable in her own way. She both delighted me and broke my heart, and I cannot express how happy I am that this series dishes out so many incredible female characters.
The one thing I was really kind of bummed about with this novel is Jalal and Despina. I left The Wrath & the Dawn looking forward to seeing more of these two, especially in regards to their relationship, because I shipped it way before I knew she was pregnant with his baby. And then you go and give me a book with nearly no Despina or Jalal (who is a favorite on par with Rahim)??
And to add insult to injury, you put Jalal and Khalid at odds because of it? Bringing my two favorite cousins to blows?? STOP MESSING WITH MY BROTP, WORLD!
I highly, highly recommend this novel to anyone who loves beautiful storytelling and stories.
A++
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Original Thoughts
On the one hand, I am extremely satisfied and very happy of where Khalid and Shazi's story ended. On the other, I feel like we are not done with this world, by a long shot. There are so many stories and characters we can still explore in it, like the magic aspect or Irsa and Artan and his family. That part is still a total mystery!
Speaking of Irsa, I wasn't expecting her character at all, but I was very happy with her. She is a delightful addition to the story - as different from her older sister as the sea is from the desert, but just as strong and formidable. Her scene dealing with Rahim's death was so heartbreaking and beautiful, and I can't deal with all these emotions right now
Shazi and Khalid are as perfect in this finale as they were in the opening. If you had told me last week that I would fall head over heels in love with a murdering king, I would have laughed and spit in your face. Joke's on me, because I love Khalid so, so much. This guy is so precious and needs to be protected and hugged and given love to openly and freely to heal his broken soul. Luckily, he has Shazi who does exactly that.
I was worried about the state we might find Shazi in at the beginning of this novel, considering how [book:The Wrath & the Dawn|18798983] ended, but I needn't have worried. It's Shazi, after all. She is still as strong and stubborn as ever, and a mere curse is not going to be what stops her from helping her loved ones!!
Together, these two are #relationshipgoals. Seriously, they just... understand each other. There is no unnecessary trust issues or misunderstandings between them. They don't rely on words to send their message across. And they would never, ever do anything to hurt the other... even emotionally.
*dreamy sigh*
Another wonderful point of this novel is that I simply adored Tariq in it, and Rahim was as book-boyfriend material as ever. Where Tariq had to win me over after the last novel (and he totally did), Rahim has been an instant favorite of mine. The boy is just so funny and laid back, but loyal to a fault. A winning combination. So I don't think I'll ever forgive Ahdieh for killing my boo.
The one thing I was really kind of bummed about with this novel is Jalal and Despina. I left [book:The Wrath & the Dawn|18798983] looking forward to seeing more of these two, especially in regards to their relationship, because I shipped it way before I knew she was pregnent with his baby. And then you go and give me a book with nearly no Despina or Jalal (who is a favorite on par with Rahim).
And to odd insult to injury, you put Jalal and Khalid at odds because of it? Bringing my two favorite cousins to blows?? After Jalal stole my heart with: "Murderer, monster, madman... Khalid may very well be all of those things. But he's also loved. By me and by my father. But, most of all, by Shazi. With her, he is as fiercely loved as he loves."?? STOP MESSING WITH MY BROTP WORLD! And I am still waiting for the reconciling scene where Jalal apologizes, the idiot!
I highly, highly recommend this novel to anyone who loved beautiful storytelling and stories.
A++
Jordon
Written on Oct 20, 2016
I was on the fence with The Wrath & the Dawn, so I lowered my expectations with The Rose & the Dagger. I decided to read this book because I wanted to know what happened in the story, I wanted to see how Shazi's story ended.
Much the same
To be honest, my feelings for this one were much the same as The Wrath & the Dawn. I was unsatisfied and I wasn't drawn in to the story.
When I started reading this I thought it was going to be different, more action packed, I thought more would happen. But this was more like an extension of the first book. It felt like it was the same tone, the story was the same, and the whole time I kept waiting for that big thing to happen. And then it did! But it was so anticlimactic and over with in a few pages. All of this build up for such a short event.
I was under the impression that Shazi and Khalid were not going to see each other much in this book. I thought the whole point of Shazi leaving was to stay away from Khalid. Except, they saw each other a lot sooner than I expected. I was disappointed because that tension was over, I was now not wondering when they would see each other again, I wasn't on the edge of my seat anymore.
Character Development
I felt like there was no character development at all, so I couldn't even be excited to see how Shazi would change. I mean yeah sure she started to trust her sister a little but she didn't grow from the in the story at all. She was frustrating to read, the way she tried to do everything herself and exclude everyone made me so annoyed at her. It was like everyone thought she walked on water and she was this strong, terrifying person.
Her sister could have been such a fun character to read; if she had been stronger. Irsa was a child, at least she seemed that way. I guess I wanted her to be a little more mature so she wouldn't be such an exasperating character. I liked her a lot more than Shazi though and I liked reading her chapters more as well. At least she wasn't as stubborn and love sick as Shazi was. Unlike Shazi, Irsa actually did grow throughout the book. It wasn't a massive change, but there was growth and she ended up being my favourite character overall.
The Magic
When I finished The Wrath & the Dawn I was under the impression that this book would have a lot more magic. The magic aspect of the last book was the only interesting thing about it in my opinion, we didn't see much of it at all. The Rose & the Dagger has magic, but I felt like we completely skipped the 'discovery' part of it. Shazi was fine using her magic and she was happy to train it. The wonder of magic was lost.
In the end
I was highly disappointed by this. The way it ended, ended the story. But it was also all convenient, it felt like there was never any danger to begin with. Loose ends were tied up and the story finished. I left this book thinking 'That was it?'.
I guess I don't get the appeal of this series. It's not groundbreaking, the characters aren't amazingly lovable, and there is non-existent character development. It all felt so bland compared to others in it's genre. I was incredibly disappointed.
Did you like the conclusion to this series?
Always,
Jordon
This review was originally posted on Simply Adrift
Jo
Written on Sep 24, 2016
Originally posted on Once Upon a Bookcase.
After absolutely loving The Wrath & the Dawn by Renée Ahdieh, I was so excited to read the sequel, The Rose & the Dagger - so much so that I bought it as soon as I was able. And although I really enjoyed the story, I'm left with mixed feelings.
After being whisked away from the crumbling city of Rey by Tariq, Shahrzad has now been reunited with her sister and father in the Badawi camp in the desert. But here it feels like a prison, with everyone watching her, trying to see where her loyalties really lie - with her first love, Tariq, or with the murdering boy-king. Forces are gathering to march against Khalid, and Shazi knows she needs to make a plan. Shazi must prevent the impending war and find a way to break the curse that threatens the kingdom of Khorasan if Khalid doesn't kill a young woman each dawn. She needs to get to the Fire Temple and seek the help of the magus Musa Zaragoza, but to get there she must search deep within herself and connect with the magic in her blood.
When I first finished this book yesterday, I thought it was amazing! I had a few little niggles, but I really enjoyed the story on the whole. But as I continued thinking about it, the more those niggles became problems. I was left with so many questions, there were things that felt a little too convenient, and characters who felt like the sole purpose for their existence was to be the solution to a problem.
The Wrath & the Dawn ended on such a cliffhanger, I expected The Rose & the Dagger to get things moving pretty quickly. I was expecting a lot of action right from the offset, but in actual fact, it took quite a while for anything to really start happening. There were reasons for this that I was able to accept, and so continued to enjoy the story, though it felt quite at odds with how the last book ended. However, there was very little to come that reached anywhere near epic.
When Shazi finally manages to get to the Fire Temple, Musa introduces her to a young magus, Artan, who he believes will be able to help Shazi break Khalid's curse. Artan was a really great character; he gives as good as he gets when it comes to Shazi, and is really quite amusing. But really, the whole purpose of Artan is to introduce Shazi to someone else. He is such an interesting character and he had so much potential for having a bigger role and being a better potential ally to Shazi, but his part ends up being quite small, and it just felt he was there to solve a problem. I had so many questions surrounding him and his family, and just felt his character wasn't developed enough.
Then we get to the whole issue of the curse and how to break, and this is where my niggles kept on niggling until I couldn't ignore them. I have some big questions surrounding it all, and I can't talk about it without spoiling the story, so if you haven't yet read this book, don't click the button below.
So why does Artan's aunt, Isuke get to decide how the curse should be broken? First she says it took a life to create the curse, so it will take a life to break it. If that's the case, why, when she hears about the magical book Jahandar has, does she change her mind and say destroying the book will break the curse? She wants the book destroyed because it causes such destruction, fine, but why does she get to decide that if Khalid does that, the curse will be broken? She says the curse was paid for in blood, thus time, and so blood must be paid to break the curse. And as destroying the book will also require blood payment, the curse will be broken when Khalid destroys the book. Why?! Why do things suddenly change so drastically? From death to some blood and the destroying of a book? Again, it just felt like a solution to a problem: get the book away from Jahandar so he doesn't cause any more magical disasters. What is this book? How did Artan's parents create it? Why did they? What has it done in the past? And why does Isuke care so much, when she's hardly the most honourable person going? I don't understand.
And the actual destroying of the book and breaking the curse? Too easy. Ok, Khalid struggles a bit, but not a huge deal. It's hardly the most massive or epic of scenes in this book. This curse has cost the lives of so many young women, has given Khalid such a terrible reputation, and has led to forces gathering to take him down... and breaking the curse took five pages. And most of that with Khalid internalising a lot of thoughts rather than actual action (It felt a whole lot like when Ron tried to destroy the locket Horcrux in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, but not any where near as exciting.). Five pages to break a curse that had caused so much chaos. It just felt far too easy! Considering all this curse has caused, it should have been much harder to break it, and was such an anti-climax.
Things did get pretty exciting towards the end; I was really anticipating all the danger and action that would surely be coming any second now. But even that felt resolved all too easily for me. And the ending? Such a cop out. There was nothing epic about this book. I'm so disappointed by how easy everything seemed, how convenient, and The Rose & the Dagger just didn't deliver the fast-paced action I felt the end of The Wrath & the Dawn hinted at.
And yet I love these characters. I enjoyed being with them again, seeing Shazi being spunky and brave, and Khalid being such a lovely guy. I loved seeing the development of other relationships, and I enjoyed how some things turned out. So I did enjoy the story for the characters, but there were too many issues for me, too.
I will give Ahdieh another go and read her next book, The Flame in the Mist, the first in another duology, this time a retelling of Mulan. I really hope this duology doesn't have too many issues, or I might just have to give up reading Ahdieh's novels.
Bianca
Written on May 30, 2016
I want to go through life and not regret all that I am.
— Dear book (and your predecessor): I love you, a thousand times over. And I will never apologize for it.
liz089
Written on May 17, 2016