The Wrath and the Dawn

4.5 stars Oh my, my, my, I am breathless ! What a glorious twist of One Thousand and One Nights. The vivid detailing in this story was so richly done I think I gained 5 pounds on description of foods alone. The clothing, the town, the palace, the horses, the landscape, each given such beauty in this author's words. I found myself rereading sections aloud just to hear them spoken, I have to get this on audio. The story is a tangle of what is believed, what is assumed and the truth somewhere in the middle. Hate, fear, resentment, revenge, friendship, respect, love and sacrifice. I loved it all. Now I must go order book 2 beacuse of a cliffhanger ending, beware. :D

I'm gonna hack goodreads and add a 6th star option just for this book.

RTC!

Full Review:

I do not even know where to begin in regards to this book, as I haven't loved a book THIS much in a very very very long time and it completely took me by surprise.

The Wrath and the Dawn (as far as my knowledge goes) is a retelling of A Thousand and On Nights. I had never really heard much about Arabian Nights before, other than the odd pop culture reference in another form of media, so I can't really speak to how faithful it is.

Korasan is the kingdom known for its murderous boy-king, Khalid, who takes a new wife each night only to have them found dead by dawn. After Shahrzad's (Shazi) best friend falls victim to the Caliphs hands she volunteers to be show more his next wife, with the sole intention of putting an end to his wrath.

It's definitely a plot that grabbed me right away and cant help but pull you in. Something within me has a call towards fantasy books where the protagonist is put into a situation where they have to be strategic or pretend to be something they're not. This books brought the strategy elements and upped the tension each chapter by practically ripping my heart out at every turn.

Shazi was a character that I empathized with right away, and each decision she made felt real and honest. I feel like people may feel like she instantly was sucked into the lure Khalid but I feel like you could feel her struggle and how much she fought against any feelings. Also I really enjoyed the slow burn build of the relationship between Shazi and Khalid, and how enthralling it was to read their scenes together. It was like watching two chess masters trying to best each other, as they both chose their words so carefully and really tried to "win" each conversation in the beginning.

My favourite thing about Shazi was how she never once seemed afraid of Khalid and how she didn't shy away from calling him out on his bullshit. Any time Khalid hinted or regarded her in a possessive way she shut that shit down instantly. Although Khalid also never tried to dismiss Shazi or thought her weaker. I thought they balanced each other wonderfully.

Ugh all of this makes me just want to reread this books right away. I'm going to say it now and I have no doubt it'll hold true at the end of the year but this will be the best book I read in ALL of 2017, nothing can top this.

Well, maybe the sequel. show less

This is Book One of a re-imagining of One Thousand and One Nights (also called The Arabian Nights), a collection of stories compiled in Arabic during the Islamic Golden Age, tied together by a very clever narrative conceit involving the ruler Shahryār. In The Arabian Nights, Shahryār discovers that both his brother’s wife and his own have been unfaithful, and resolves next to marry a succession of virgins, and kill each one the next morning before she can betray him. Alas, before long there is only one available virgin left, and it is Scheherazade, who is much smarter than her predecessors. On the night of her marriage, she begins a story, but does not end it. The king is curious, and postpones her execution. The next night, she show more starts yet another compelling tale, again leaving the king hanging. This goes on for 1,001 nights, and the king, intrigued over how each story ends, cannot resist having these cliffhangers resolved and so sparing his wife. Finally, the king gives his wife a pardon.

The retelling by Ahdieh adds a lot of appeal for today’s young adults. The handsome 18-year-old king Khalid is not at all what spunky sixteen-year-old Shahrzad (known as “Shazi”) expected. Khalid's brides are being killed the next morning, and Shazi thinks Khalid must be the epitome of evil. Nevertheless, she actually volunteers to be a bride, with the intent of getting revenge for the death of a previous bride who was her best friend. But she discovers that Khalid, rather than being a one-note villain who is easy to hate, is not without charm and humor. He also seems to feel a great deal of inner pain and suffering, the reasons for which he keeps secret. Shazi never dreamed she would find hidden depths in Khalid, and eventually she learns the reasons for all that he has done. Before long, she is questioning everything she thought she knew.

Discussion: In some ways this book follows a very familiar pattern: sassy, independent girl meets brooding bad boy, a boy the girl wants very much to hate. But she sees through cracks in his forbidding facade, and she starts falling for him.

What makes this book exceptional? It has an exotic setting, a mystery, a bit of magic, very likable characters, and a hot romance. The writing is fine. It ends with questions about the fate of everyone involved, but not so much that you feel cheated if you only want to read this one book of the series.

In addition, as the relationship between the two deepens, readers will appreciate that there is plenty of “swoony” dialogue:

"What are you doing to me, you plague of a girl?” he whispered.

“If I’m a plague, then you should keep your distance, unless you plan on being destroyed.”

“No.” His hands dropped to her waist. “Destroy me.”

. . .

"She was drowning in sandalwood and sunlight. Time ceased to be more than a notion. Her lips were hers one moment. And then they were his. The taste of him on her tongue was like sun-warmed honey. Like cool water sliding down her parched throat. Like the promise of all her tomorrows in a single sigh. When she wound her fingers in his hair to draw her body against his, he stilled for breath, and she knew, as he knew, that they were lost. Lost forever.

In this kiss.

This kiss that would change everything."

Evaluation: This love story with an “Arabian Nights” flavor to lend it an exotic spiciness has a great deal of appeal. I can't wait to read the next installment.

Note: Some of the recognition for this book includes:

An Amazon Best Book of the Year for 2015 – Young Adult
A New York Public Library Best Book for Teens for 2015
A Seventeen Magazine Best Book of 2015

A YALSA 2016 Best Fiction for Young Adults Pick show less

This and other reviews can be found on The Psychotic Nerd

MY THOUGHTS
I stayed up late reading this book, unwilling to put it down, only to make it to the end and just stare blankly at the screen. Why? Because I wanted more. This book was beautiful and absolutely fantastic!

Khalid, the "boy-king" and ruler of the land, has taken and killed a wife every dawn. When Shahrzad's best friend becomes a victim, she volunteers to become the next wife with the intent of killing the boy king. Shazi has to use her smarts to survive the dawns, but each time she holds back from killing him. Despite what has happened to the other girls, Shazi is growing closer to the boy king, and him to her. The thing that holds her back is that he's keeping a dark, show more secret. Why is he killing the girls?

I have never read the book that this is a loose retelling of, but I am familiar with it. Still, I was able to fully enjoy this book. I admit, it took a little while. At first, I had trouble because this book changes who it is following every chapter or so. Sometimes it's Shazi, sometimes it's Khalid, Shazi's family, Tariq, etc. I was getting confused and it was a bit slow-pacing for a bit, but then I FOUND THE MOST AMAZING BOOK!

One thing that really stands out is the world-building. The entire world was crafted so brilliantly and so well-detailed, that I felt like I was actually within the pages.

As for characters, Shari is a fantastic MC! She's smart, snarky, and many people in the book described her as fiery (maybe not very nicely). But what more could you ask for in a character? This character knows how to play this game and get what she wants. Even with her strength, she isn't a completely badass girl with no weaknesses. She's' a very complex character and, if I must say, all of the characters in this book are so well-developed. Really, Ahdieh is such an amazing writer!

Lastly, the romance. I ship it hard. I was kind of iffy for a bit, since Khalid definitely has the bad boy thing, but I absolutely adore hate-to-love romances. And I need to stop now before I begin fangirling (more than I have already).
Though, there is a bit of a love triangle-esque thing with Tariq, who was Shari's boyfriend before. I really hope that this doesn't come into play in the next book.

IN CONCLUSION
Overall, this book is my favorite book so far this year! I loved everything about it and I'm sorry if I was vague, but I'm having such a hard time formatting my thoughts that actually make any sense! If you enjoy well-crafted fantasies with a brilliant storyline, brilliant characters, and all of the twists, so do yourself a favor and pick this up. Heck, if you're a fan of amazing books, pick this book up. show less

Originally posted at https://olduvaireads.wordpress.com/2016/04/06/the-wrath-and-the-dawn-by-renee-ah...

It must take some daring, writing a novel inspired by One Thousand and One Nights, which has seen so many versions and interpretations that it seems impossible to write something fresh and different based on it.

(One of my favourites is Sharaz-De, the visually sumptuous graphic novel version by Italian Sergio Toppi).

But somehow Renee Ahdieh has done it. She’s written a story that is more than just the One Thousand and One Nights of stories, it is a story about a brave and strong young woman, who is fearless and also vulnerable, and a conflicted king with the reputation of a monster, one who marries and murders each new wife before show more dawn. It is an adventure with sword fighting and archery and a hint of dark magic.

“We women are a sad lot, aren’t we?”
“What do you mean?”
“Strong enough to take on the world with our bare hands, yet we permit ridiculous boys to make fools of us.”

Part of me was a bit hesitant when I went into this book. But then I got sucked into it, and this reader-of-several-books-at-a-time sank and submerged into this one book and only came up for air when I was done. It just propelled me along, wanting to know the reason for the caliph’s evil deeds, whether Shazi would seek revenge for her best friend’s death, and what was going on with her father??

Ahdieh is adept at making the reader reconsider the characters in the story, that the ‘good guys’ might not necessarily be the heroes, that there may be something else behind the ‘bad guys’.

As she said in an interview with Hypable:

“There are no heroes or villains,” she told us, “There are only people who want different things.” show less

Actual Rating: 5.0

Oh my god.
Oh. My. God.
I am really not okay.

Are you satisfied? Are you?
I'm not. Why? Because I have to wait another month for The Rose & the Dagger.

I can't do it, okay? I need it right now .

Okay, okay okay. Now for the actual review.
The Wrath and the Dawn follows the story of Shahrzad, who, in order to avenge her friend's death, volunteers to marry a king who murders his wives every morning.

Hoping to delay her death, Shahrzad weaves a story for Khalid, the king, every night; unlike her predecessors, Shahrzad manages to live another day. And another. And another.

And yet, Shahrzad's emotions are in turmoil as she unravels the king's secrets to find herself falling for the monster she was meant to kill.

"As he placed his show more palm against the side of her face, Shahrzad realized something horrifying.
She wanted to kiss him.
No.
It was one thing to return his kiss; she'd been prepared forthat. But it was another thing entire to want his kiss..."

Renee Ahdieh weaves a poignant tale of the heart's betrayal in the perfect blend of fantasy and romance, as her main character engages in the endless battle between her heart and her mind.

Honestly, at first, I wasn't sure if I would enjoy The Wrath and the Dawn, simply because it was an adaptation. But I am so, so, glad I decided to read it, because it was amazingly beautiful, and I simply cannot wait to read The Rose & the Dagger.

April 26th, I anxiously await your arrival. show less

"So his question to an all-knowing genie would be about a mere trinket of love?" the caliph interjected.

"A mere trinket? Love is a force unto itself, sayyidi. For love, people consider the unthinkable.. and often achieve the impossible. I would not sneer at its power."

The caliph held her gaze. "I am not sneering at its power. I am lamenting its role in this story."

"You are saddened by love's importance in the emir's life?"

He paused. "I am frustrated by its importance in all our lives."

As much as I complain about love stories, when I find a well written one, the kind that evokes all kinds of emotions in me, I have to review it.

The Wrath and the Dawn was beautiful. It was swoony. It was angsty. It was full of feels and heart clenching show more emotions. I absolutely adored it. I want to read the real One Thousand and One Nights. It was advertised as a romance, and it was a DAMN GOOD ONE.

I loved Shahrzad (Shazi) was so headstrong and defiant - a true "brat Calipha" as Despina said. She got her way, and although she was afraid, she was someone to be feared. Khalid gave my heart palpitations for being... himself. Well. I was worried that his killing would have been something that was romanticized, but I'm glad it was approached the way it was. (Not spoiling it heh)

I loved Jalal and Despina, as well. Every time Tariq showed up though, I felt as though I was being interrupted from my Shazi/Khalid POVs. Tariq was a cool guy, but he cockblocked this ship so hard. (I did feel bad for him)

Although I wanted to hear more of Shazi's tales, I loved the first few, and how they connected to Khalid, and how their relationship grew over time. How Khalid and Shazi were both conflicted with themselves to fall in love. It was cute. I rarely admit things to be cute.

It was written in such a poetic, mesmerizing way too. Like I'm actually hearing Shazi tell the tales.

I wish I had the sequel. It's a book to reread if you need more swoons.

"I want someone who sees beneath the surface - someone who completes the balance. An equal."

"And how will you know when you've found this elusive someone?" Shahrzad retorted.

"I suspected she will be like air. Like knowing how to breathe." show less