Author: Renée Ahdieh
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Publication date: May 12th 2016
Buy the book: Amazon / Barnes and Noble
One Life to One Dawn.
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.
(Image and summary taken from Goodreads)
My thoughts:
I am so tempted to smack myself to depriving my mind, body, heart and soul of this insanely beautiful book. I've read plenty of amazing novels in my time but oh Lord, I can promise you that I have only read one book other than The Wrath and the Dawn that I've deemed insanely beautiful. I did not know what to expect when I dove headfirst into The Wrath and the Dawn but it definitely wasn't this overwhelming story that gripped me from the first few chapters. I literally could not pull myself away from this book, I actually brought it with me everywhere. I kind of feel bad for not savouring it (because a book this beautifully written should definitely be savoured) but I feel like me devouring it as quickly as I did is a testament as to how amazing it is; which is, SO SO SOOO AMAZING.
If there's one thing I look for most in a Fantasy novel it's world-building. It is so hard to truly visual such a vast and complicated world without the aid of the author; and I think that Renée Ahdieh has mastered the art of weaving intricate threads and creating a complex and imaginative realm that any reader would not want to leave. I fell in love with Khorasan as much as I did with the people living in it.
I feel like I fall in love with heroines in a daily basis but Shahrzad will always have a very special place in my heart. Her courage and honesty is so refreshing and so completely bold that her personality caught me off-guard. It was the honesty in her hatred for Khalid that drew him to her and it was also that aspect of her that appealed her to me. It was such a rough yet enthralling experience seeing her attitude shift and mould into someone so fiercely loyal and open-hearted. Shahrzad's compassion and empathy really touched my heart while her stubbornness and wit never failed to bring a smile to my face.
My heart. Oh Lord, my heart. Renée Ahdieh's way with words broke my heart (in the best way possible) and built it up again. The slow yet intense build up in terms of Shahrzad and Khalid's romance is one of the best things I've ever experienced. My heart soared every moment they spent falling for each other, they were tension-filled, frustrating and so damn beautiful. I wish I could share all those amazing moments with you but you need to read the book for you to know what I'm talking about. This feeling cannot be explained, it can only be felt, completely and intensely. Thank you, Renée Ahdieh, for letting me experience such complete love and magic. I never knew love would feel like this.
KHALID. I don't even know what to say. His character has rendered me speechless. *insert sobbing emojis* I wish you were real. *more sobbing emojis*
I applaud Renée Ahdieh for her attention to even the smallest of details. The amount of time spent describing things made the book kind of slow but it added so much to the entirety of the novel. The different textures and sensations that were described actually made me feel like I was experiencing everything myself. And even more than those, the food that were featured in The Wrath and the Dawn? Oh my god. My mouth would not stop watering from all the amazing smells and visuals I got from the food. My inner foodie was in absolute heaven.
Another thing that made this book so cohesive were the secondary characters. Jalal, Despina, Tariq, and the others gave The Wrath and the Dawn so much personality and, well, character. They may have just been minor characters but they each had a role to play that contributed plenty to the story. Their character arcs were so interesting and complex and I am looking forward to seeing where they go in The Rose and the Dagger (thank god I have an ARC, lol). There were minor characters that really took me by surprise and I am very intrigued.
However, there is more to The Wrath and the Dawn than just its amazing array of characters and generous descriptions. The different high tension moments gave the book its thrill and excitement. Since this novel is actually very rich and carefully paced, the amount of action sequences in it weren't too many but that's what fit the story. Renée Ahdieh knew when to give and when to hold back, there was a great balance in the book.
The Wrath and the Dawn is one of the best books I have read of all time and I am so thankful that I decided to grab copy of it. There is so much magic to be read and discovered in The Wrath and the Dawn, Renée Ahdieh's masterful story-telling will take you to newfound heights and places you've never imagined with complex and beautifully woven details and characters. I am in complete awe of this book.
I feel like I fall in love with heroines in a daily basis but Shahrzad will always have a very special place in my heart. Her courage and honesty is so refreshing and so completely bold that her personality caught me off-guard. It was the honesty in her hatred for Khalid that drew him to her and it was also that aspect of her that appealed her to me. It was such a rough yet enthralling experience seeing her attitude shift and mould into someone so fiercely loyal and open-hearted. Shahrzad's compassion and empathy really touched my heart while her stubbornness and wit never failed to bring a smile to my face.
My heart. Oh Lord, my heart. Renée Ahdieh's way with words broke my heart (in the best way possible) and built it up again. The slow yet intense build up in terms of Shahrzad and Khalid's romance is one of the best things I've ever experienced. My heart soared every moment they spent falling for each other, they were tension-filled, frustrating and so damn beautiful. I wish I could share all those amazing moments with you but you need to read the book for you to know what I'm talking about. This feeling cannot be explained, it can only be felt, completely and intensely. Thank you, Renée Ahdieh, for letting me experience such complete love and magic. I never knew love would feel like this.
KHALID. I don't even know what to say. His character has rendered me speechless. *insert sobbing emojis* I wish you were real. *more sobbing emojis*
I applaud Renée Ahdieh for her attention to even the smallest of details. The amount of time spent describing things made the book kind of slow but it added so much to the entirety of the novel. The different textures and sensations that were described actually made me feel like I was experiencing everything myself. And even more than those, the food that were featured in The Wrath and the Dawn? Oh my god. My mouth would not stop watering from all the amazing smells and visuals I got from the food. My inner foodie was in absolute heaven.
Another thing that made this book so cohesive were the secondary characters. Jalal, Despina, Tariq, and the others gave The Wrath and the Dawn so much personality and, well, character. They may have just been minor characters but they each had a role to play that contributed plenty to the story. Their character arcs were so interesting and complex and I am looking forward to seeing where they go in The Rose and the Dagger (thank god I have an ARC, lol). There were minor characters that really took me by surprise and I am very intrigued.
However, there is more to The Wrath and the Dawn than just its amazing array of characters and generous descriptions. The different high tension moments gave the book its thrill and excitement. Since this novel is actually very rich and carefully paced, the amount of action sequences in it weren't too many but that's what fit the story. Renée Ahdieh knew when to give and when to hold back, there was a great balance in the book.
The Wrath and the Dawn is one of the best books I have read of all time and I am so thankful that I decided to grab copy of it. There is so much magic to be read and discovered in The Wrath and the Dawn, Renée Ahdieh's masterful story-telling will take you to newfound heights and places you've never imagined with complex and beautifully woven details and characters. I am in complete awe of this book.
Rating:
YAY I'M SO GLAD THAT YOU LOVED THIS, LOUISSE A;SDJFKDLS;FJKL;JKFJ!!!! I seriously can't wait for the next book!
ReplyDeleteNAHSJAHZBAV YES KHALID. AND OMG JALAL'S PERSONALITY IS ADORABLE. I'M GLAD YOU LOVED IT.
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