BY: RENEE AHDIEH
BOOK REVIEW OF:
BOOK REVIEW OF:
THE WRATH AND THE DAWN
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?
Inspired by A Thousand and One Nights, The Wrath and the Dawn is a sumptuous and enthralling read from beginning to end.
MY THOUGHTS:
Wow! The Wrath and the Dawn truly amazed me from the moment I opened to the first page and fell head first into Shahrzad’s world. The imagery of the book really created great visuals that made even the ordinary seem beautiful and added to the suspense in the action scenes.
Shahrzad was also very relatable. I could understand her mission and feelings at every plotwist. She struck at the heart and won. It was no wonder that the king fell in love with her. I have a bestfriend named Steffi. She is not only my compaion in all adventures and the person that can make a dull evening turn into an ab workout from all the laughing, but she is my moral compass when I’m not sure what direction to take. If she were gone and I knew what took her, no force in this world could stop me from destroying that monster. That monster would have no hope, especially since I wouldn’t have a moral compass to stop me. I’m sure that we all have someone that is like that for us. So I’m sure that we can all relate to Shahrzad’s intentions to kill the king.
An amazing character element, Shahrzad doesn’t simply forget her mission when she begins to fall in love with Khalid. She changes her focus to finding the truth, but she doesn’t let go of her past and herself for a romance. For me, her dedication was a very important; it showed her independent nature and her self-power. Shahrzad did not get her power from Khalid, nor did she overpower Khalid’s power. Both of them complimented each other and simply made the other stronger.
Overall, the pacing and readability of the book were perfect. The only bit of confusion I had was at the beginning when two childhood friends of Shahrzad are introduced. This isn’t a spoiler but just remember that Tariq is the important one.
RATING:10/10 Go pick this book up right now! You won’t be disappointed, and you can join me in the wait for the sequel.
Thank you for visiting my blog! Please feel free to leave any comments or compliments at the bottom! I have a Holly Black book review for you guys next time, so please follow this blog and my twitter account.Here's the sequel! It comes out May 3rd. Can't Wait!
