Phenomenal, suspenseful, heart-wrenching: these are all words that perfectly encompass the rollercoaster-like and painstakingly beautiful nature of The Wrath and the Dawn. The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh is a book about a young woman from a village in Khorasan, a place in the Middle-East. This young woman, the heroine of the story, is named Shahrzad and is a courageous and unabashed person who is ready to do whatever it takes to avenge her best friend who was recently killed at the hands of the royal Caliph of Khorasan, Khalid. In recent weeks, the Caliph had been picking young women of the nation to marry and then killing them the next morning, and all people viewed him as a monster. So, it came as a big surprise when Shahrzad volunteered herself to marry the Caliph with an elaborate plan to murder him for his horrid actions to so many girls. To many others, this action was essentially Shahrzad putting herself on her deathbed. However, much to all citizens’ surprise, Shahrzad managed to survive until dawn as the Calipha of Khorasan, and she found out that not everything was as it seemed inside the castle. Shahrzad tricked the Caliph into letting her stay alive by telling him childhood folk stories, which were reinterpretations of Middle-Eastern Arabian Nights. However, things came to a turn when along the way, Shahrzad found herself falling for the monster of a Caliph, who she swore she would kill, leading to even more angst and chaos in this tumultuous storyline.
The Wrath and the Dawn was one of the first really good books that I have read in quite some time. I greatly enjoyed this book and thought it was a really interesting read. It took me only a few pages to get into this book and I was hooked from then on, reading the second book only a few days later. The author does an excellent job of keeping up the pace of the book and always making the reader desperate to read more. The balance between the chaos and romance was amazing and the characterization of every role in the book was well thought out and played into the story in impressively perfect ways. The switches in point of view were done at really good times and although complex, the story line was not difficult to follow and rather really enjoyable.Â
The Wrath and the Dawn was an incredible read, and I recommend it to whoever is looking for a good read to keep them on the edge of their seat, or anyone who is unsure that reading is meant for them. This book is perfect for all readers as it is so fun to follow along with and the advanced diction used by the author makes it so easy to get into the book and feel like you are a part of that world for a minute. The vivid imagery that the Ahdieh used to describe Shahrzad’s outfits and the adventures in the city was so beautiful and made the experience of reading the book much more enjoyable. The moment I picked up this book, I could not put it down, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for their next great read.Â