Review: The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh

The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh
Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date: 05/12/2015
Series: The Wrath and the Dawn, #1
Age range: 12 - 17 Years
Source: Bought

A sumptuous and epically told love story inspired by A Thousand and One Nights

Every dawn brings horror to a different family in a land ruled by a killer. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, takes a new bride each night only to have her executed at sunrise. So it is a suspicious surprise when sixteen-year-old Shahrzad volunteers to marry Khalid. But she does so with a clever plan to stay alive and exact revenge on the Caliph for the murder of her best friend and countless other girls. Shazi's wit and will, indeed, get her through to the dawn that no others have seen, but with a catch . . . she’s falling in love with the very boy who killed her dearest friend.

She discovers that the murderous boy-king is not all that he seems and neither are the deaths of so many girls. Shazi is determined to uncover the reason for the murders and to break the cycle once and for all.

This book was an unsuspected surprise. Anytime I read a book by an author that I’ve never read before, I have to get a feel for the writing style and the voice. I will say that it took me a chapter or two to really get into the story but once I got the hang of it, I did not let go. I fell in love with the imagery which was magical in itself.  I could see the world that Renee created perfectly. It was so mesmerizing and I enjoyed every detail.

I can’t say enough about the characters – they embody what I love in fantasy. Kazi is fierce and I loved that she could hold her own. I fell in love with Khalid through Kazi - these two are perfect for each other.  You know what I can’t wait for? I can’t wait to see what happens with the other characters in this book like Tariq – he’s intriguing and a force within his own right.

I love when books in this genre have kick-ass action and I feel like I got a small taste and it left me wanting more.  I‘m hopeful that there will be more sword-wielding action in the next book. I’m just ready for a major showdown to see whose left standing when the dust settles.    

Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

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