Review: The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh

The Wrath and the Dawn

Renee Ahdieh

(The Wrath and the Dawn #1)

Publication Date: May 12, 2015

Hardcover, 388 pages, Putnam’s Sons Books

Genres: YA, Fantasy, Fairytale Retelling

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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.

My Review

I don’t even know what to say. This book was… This book was incredible? Mind-boggling good? Fantastic? All of the above? Yes. Yes. Yes. And yes.

I was really scared going into this book. The hype was definitely up there and I was worried it was not going to live up to my expectations. I shouldn’t have been worried in any way, shape, or form. The Wrath and the Dawn can definitely hold its own.

The characters of this book are phenomenal! Sharhzad is the perfect blend of feisty, head-strong, awesome, and bold that I love in a YA female lead. She’s able to dish it out with the big boys and give some major third-degree burns while doing so. Basically, she just made me smile. Now Khalid, Khalid is another character I have no words for. If this were real life and he had done the things he’s done, I would hate him. Okay, hate is a strong word. I would loathe him. But this is not real life, this is fiction, and Khalid is a sexy beast. There. I said it. His tortured soul and strength of character just made my heart BOOM BOOM so fast.

The other characters are good too. I liked all of them, even the second part of the love triangle. However, even though I liked Tariq, I do NOT want him to end up with Shazi. It will not happen, Renee. Do you comprehend what I am saying right now? Please do.

Let’s move on from my mini-rant/plead, shall we?

The plot of this book deserves a very strong “A.” I never knew what was going to happen. Which is weird considering it’s supposed to be a retelling, but I’m not complaining. However, because this book is based off of One Thousand and One Nights story, I was expecting that element to continue throughout the story. Again, not complaining, just observing.

The magic of the world and the detail that went into each paragraph, line, and word just made this novel so beautiful. I wish I had time to read it again, but alas, I do not. The only complaint I have about Sharhzad’s story is that I was very confused when I started reading. The first 10 pages or so switch point of views so much and I was trying to get the names and places straight but it was all so confusing. I think that probably wasn’t the best way to start out a fantasy novel.

All in all, I don’t think I can recommend this amazing fantasy novel enough. It has everything a fantasy lover wants: magic, mystery, mayhem, and sexy-times. Believe me, you’ll want to read it, so just go pick it up already.

**Note: I won a copy of this book from the publisher. This in no way affected my opinion/review.