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

by Renée Ahdieh

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: 0606401067
• ISBN13: 9780606401067
• Publish Date: 4 April 2017 (first published 26 April 2016)
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 13 September 2023
• Imprint: Turtleback Books
• Edition: Bound for Schools & Libraries ed.
• Format: Hardcover (Library Binding)
• Pages: 448
• Language: English

Reviews

[Sam@WLABB]

I will use one of Ahdieh's own phrases to describe how much I enjoyed this book: "From the stars to the stars."

What an ending! Once again, Ahdieh gave me a beautifully written tale, which bought me through a myriad of emotions. Ahdieh gave us more and more of Shazi and Khalid's epic love story. She also lets all the people important to Shazi see why she loves this boy-king. I really liked that more of Khalid's tender side is put on display. Ahdieh also explored other relationships in this book: between the sisters, between the friends, between the "family". This let me get a little more attached to some of the other characters, but ultimately, ended up breaking my heart too. Oh, Ahdieh, you gave me so much joy, but you also brought the pain. As a reader who needs this, I would like to thank the author for a very gratifying epilogue. I need to see a little bit of the future so I can sleep at night, and Ahdieh gave me enough to sate my desire. I am a little sad that this is only a duology, but I do look forward to more of Renee Ahdieh's work. Bravo!

[shannonmiz]

You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight

Reasons You Need to read The Rose and the Dagger: 

• Because Shazi is amazing. She is one of my favorite characters of ever. She's just so strong and brave, but also has


• The ship. There are no coherent words to describe my love of Shazi and Khalid. None. The actual only downside of book two is that there is less time for me to swoon. Because there's a lot of stuff happening, and the swooning has to take a backseat. But no worries, there were tons of shippable moments!


• We get to see a lot more of Shahrzad's family! I love seeing family interaction, especially in a world like this where the stakes are so high. Shazi's relationship with her sister is so great to read about as it transforms. Irsa has grown up a lot since Shazi left, and I loved watching them reconnect and grow stronger.


• The plot was incredible and kept me guessing right until the end. This book is quite full of action, and really never a dull moment. I kept wondering which characters I was supposed to trust, much like Shazi and Khalid were! I really had no idea what the end game would be, and I loved that!


• If possible, the writing is even more amazing than in the first book! I like to flag quotes that I like, and this book is full of my tiny flags! Even rereading them to write this review(ish), I had all the feels- they brought me right back into the story. Renee's writing just evokes so much emotion, and brings the world and the characters to life so vividly.

Bottom Line: I am so sad that it is over, and I will miss these characters a lot, but I suppose that is what re-reads are for! If you liked the first book, you should love this one too! And if you haven't started the series, now that you know that the second book is good, you should go start the first one!

**Copy provided by publisher for review

[nightingalereads]

Not quite as good as The Wrath & the Dawn, but still beautiful. Some plot points felt a little rushed, but at the same time, I really appreciated how certain parts in the book weren't tediously drawn out. It's a double-edged sword. My primary focus was on the characters, and I loved them just as much as I did in the first book.