The Wrath & The Dawn

(The Wrath and the Dawn #1, By: Renee Ahdieh)

SUMMARY:

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?
Published May 2015 by G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers

REVIEW:

I gave this book 4 stars. The world was lush and full of culture, and the romance was a beautiful example of how love can be found in the most unexpected of places.

I found myself instantly enamored by the fiery main character, Shahrzad, and intrigued by the shadowy demeanor of Khalid. Ahdieh did a wonderful job at creating tension around the misunderstanding of Khalid and his secrets. Similarly, Shahrzad was a well built character full of depth, internal struggle and passion. I loved watching these two as their lives wove together in an unexpected way, and in an unfamiliar world.

The world building was well done and Khorasan came to life easily in my mind. I loved learning about the culture and imagining the lifestyle within the palace. However, there are a lot of unfamiliar terms throughout the book. While this added to the authenticity of the book and the culture within the world, it also slowed the pacing down a bit (I had to go reference the glossary often, especially at the beginning of the story).

Overall, this story was refreshing and well written. The plot was full of action while also slowing down at times in order to highlight the building of relationships which I appreciated. I didn't see the ending coming, which was fun, and now I can't wait to continue with the second book in the series (The Rose & The Dagger).