Book Review: The Wrath and the Dawn

I know it's a long time coming as I RAVED about this book about a week ago and haven't written a post about it yet, but here it is!  Vacation got the best of me, but I did get two books read in one weekend.

The Wrath and the Dawn
Renee Ahdieh
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons
Source: purchased on Nook
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

In this retelling of the Arabian Nights, Shahrzad offers herself up as the next bride of the Caliph, Khalid.  She does so in order to exact revenge on Khalid for the murder of her best friend, as well as all the brides he has killed the morning after their marriage. Shahrzad manages to entangle Khalid in her stories, enticing him to wait just one more night to find out the conclusion to her story.  Not only does she have to worry about weaving stories for her new husband in order to stay alive, but she has a handmaiden who is there to spy on her, and Khalid's closest advisors distrust her.  Even if Shahrzad can get Khalid to trust her, how will she manage to convince everyone else watching her that she isn't a threat?  Unbeknownst to Shahrzad, while she is trying to get revenge, her boyfriend, Tariq, is planning his own revenge and attempting to save her.

I absolutely loved this book.  I will admit the first couple of chapters were just okay, but as I got into the book, I was completely drawn into this story.  I stayed up until 1:30am to finish reading.  This may not sound like a big deal to some of you, but when you have a two year old who WILL wake up by 7:00am at the latest, 11:00 is my normal late.  

The characters are absolutely wonderful!  They were complex and interesting.  The only character I didn't really like was Tariq--but I can't figure out why.  I just know that each time it was a chapter from his point of view, I was rushing through to get on with it and back to Shahrzad, or even the few chapters from Khalid's point of view.  I preferred the story going on in the palace to what Tariq was doing.   That being said, I really was intrigued by the parallels between Khalid and his closest friend, Rahim, and Tariq and his close friend Jalal.  They have many similarities in the way these two pairs interact with one another.  I'm interested in how that will play out in later books.

Another thing about the characters is that I STILL don't know whom to trust!  Renee Ahdieh has me reeling over the characters.  Do I trust Rahim?  Is he on Shahrzad's side?  Khalid's side?  Either?  And what about her handmaiden, Despina, who flat out tells her that she's there to spy on her as well be her servant.  How much can Shahrzad trust her?  Even Tariq, who believes he is doing the best for her, is questionable.  And Khalid--oh he's definitely got a lot going on that keeps one wondering.  

The best thing about this book is that there is going to be another one!  Yes!  I didn't realize this until it ended and I was left in the lurch.  What!?  I read the other day that it's coming out some time in 2016.  Guess who's going to buying that on the day it comes out?  It's me!

I definitely recommend this book.  If you are a fan of the Lunar Chronicles, you'll enjoy this retelling of different classic.  It also makes me want to read some of the Arabian Nights as I read a few of the stories when I was a little girl.  This grown up version is perfect!


Image Source: Goodreads

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