Review: The Wrath and the Dawn
20:29
By Renee Ahdieh
Source: Ebook
Page count: 388
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Retellings,
Goodreads Synopsis:
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:
I knew I was going to like this book, but when I picked it up, I didn’t realise I was going to adore it as much as I did. It had a really intriguing concept, so I knew as soon as I read the synopsis that I just had to read it. The cover is beautiful too (even though I read it as an ebook), so I knew that it had to be mine.
The writing was stunning. The descriptions were rich and vivid, so I could imagine every scene perfectly. It was never got tiresome because of the way everything was so perfectly described. The world building was never boring; instead so magical and interesting.
All of the characters were done perfectly. Although I would have liked to see more depth and development in Khalid, the boy-king, I loved Shahrzad so much. She was funny and compassionate at times, yet could be witty, a badass fighter, and very independent. She made such a good lead so I really cared about her for the whole book.
I actually really enjoyed the romance. My usually-cold heart melted at the enchanting love story, which is definitely a first! Usually - in my opinion - romance and sex is done really badly (especially in YA books), but The Wrath and the Dawn did it so well. It was slow-burning so I had time to want Shahrzad and Khalid to actually be together, yet there was enough romance so I didn’t get bored, or feel it was pointless.
Overall, I really liked this book! I was gripped throughout the whole book because everything was done so well. I loved discovering a whole new world, and I found the court politics especially interesting. I’m now really excited for the next book to be released - The Wrath and the Dawn left us on a real cliffhanger too! I would definitely recommend this book for fans of An Ember in the Ashes. Rating:
Hello! I'm D - a dog-loving feminist from the UK. You'll probably find me with my nose in a book or playing my clarinet
7 comments
Nice review! I haven't read this book yet, but it seems really intriguing. The cover is really pretty too, so I'm looking forward to buying it.
ReplyDeleteI've been thinking about picking this book up, you kind of sold me. Fun fact: my dad's name is Khalid! It's going to be weird reading this book! If I end up liking Khalid, I'd be saying my dad's name over and over! Lol! :P. Don't get why you gave this book a 4 stars if you loved it so much.
ReplyDeleteYou should definitely read this book. I'd recommend it to to everyone! My Dad's name is Bob, so it never really comes up in books. I expect it would be a bit weird to read your Dad's name - and if you pictured Khalid (the character) as your Dad, that would be even weirder!
DeleteI try to save my 5 stars for the books that are my all-time favourites. I enjoyed this book a lot, though it wasn't really favourite material, so I gave it 4. I'm a harsh grader, so won't rate anything a 4.5/5 if it wasn't my instant new favourite. Thanks for the comment! :)
Great review! I have to admit, I first saw this gorgeous book cover, and knew I had to see what it was about. The synopsis really is intriguing, and I've been reading so many great reviews about this...maybe it's time I add it to my TBR! :D
ReplyDeleteI totally agree! It was the same with me - there was so much hype about it on Tumblr that I knew I had to find out more. I'd definitely recommend it! Thanks for the comment :)
DeleteStunning writing, good romance. Count me all the way in. I hope I get to read this one before the year is out because it was one of my more anticipated reads for this year! Great review!
ReplyDeleteI hope you get to it too, because it truly is a wonderful read. I really loved it. Thanks for the comment! :)
DeleteThanks for commenting! I read and respond to every comment, so make sure to check back to see my reply. Have a nice day! ☺♥