Review - The Wrath and the Dawn (The Wrath and the Dawn #1) by Renée Ahdieh

The Wrath and the Dawn by Renée Ahdieh
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers (12th May 2015)

Blurb:
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?

I love this called Carousell because it’s like a secondhand bookstore for bookish people like me. I was fortunate (and quick enough) to get a copy of The Wrath and the Dawn at half-price and it was such a bargain for a rare gem! I have been hearing so many good things about Renée Ahdieh’s debut novel, The Wrath and the Dawn that I just needed to find out why it’s caused such a stir among my bookish friends. Before I move on with my review and start fanboying over the book, let’s take a moment to lust over the cover because personally, I think it’s a stunner.

"My soul sees its equal in you."

Renée Ahdieh’s The Wrath and the Dawn is basically a love story with a twist and its allure tempted me to dive right into the story after reading the first chapter because I was immediately transported to the incredibly lush universe that Renée Ahdieh created. The book is inspired by Arabian Nights and I am at awe at how she managed to incorporate the different stories in the classic fable into her book and made everything work! The Wrath and the Dawn was a beautifully weaved tapestry, studded with the most sensual and poetic lines that would melt the coldest of hearts.

“I love you, a thousand times over. And I will never apologize for it.”

When I made my way through the book, I was really in love with the book because it really embraced me with the entire essence of the story, like the stories told by Shahrzad that enchanted the King of Kings. I loved the progress of the book, where Shahrzad, whose best friend died in the hands of the caliph, plans to seek revenge on her best friend by volunteering herself to the caliph to end his brutal murder of young women. From the first chapter, things started off with a bang and the pace of the book was just perfect, it started off really well and Renée Ahdieh’s beautiful prose told the story and impeccably described the lush surroundings.

“Shazi,

I prefer the color blue to any other. The scent of lilacs in your hair is a source of constant torment. I despise figs. Lastly, I will never forget, all the days of my life, the memories of last night—
For nothing, not the sun, not the rain, not even the brightest star in the darkest sky, could begin to compare to the wonder of you.

Khalid.”

Renée Ahdieh’s writing is just incredibly poetic and it flowed so well with the story and the magical tale of Shahrzad taming the caliph’s cold heart. It gave me the feels when I was reading and I just had that feeling of longing to dive right back to the world, just thinking about it. If you’ve not read The Wrath and the Dawn, I recommend this evocative and spellbinding novel to you. You have to read it. I am eagerly awaiting the sequel, The Rose and the Dagger which will be out next month -- I can’t freaking wait!

The Wrath and the Dawn is available now and the sequel, The Rose and the Dagger is out on 26th Apr 2016.