Jun 7, 2016

The Rose and the Dagger

The Rose and the Dagger
by Renee Ahdieh

Book: The Wrath and the Dawn #2

Publisher: Putnam
Pub Date: April 2016
Genre: Young Adult, Historical  
Format: Print
Source: Borrowed
Book Links: Goodreads  Amazon   

The much anticipated sequel to the breathtaking The Wrath and the Dawn, lauded by Publishers Weekly as "a potent page-turner of intrigue and romance."

I am surrounded on all sides by a desert. A guest, in a prison of sand and sun. My family is here. And I do not know whom I can trust.
In a land on the brink of war, Shahrzad has been torn from the love of her husband Khalid, the Caliph of Khorasan. She once believed him a monster, but his secrets revealed a man tormented by guilt and a powerful curse—one that might keep them apart forever. Reunited with her family, who have taken refuge with enemies of Khalid, and Tariq, her childhood sweetheart, she should be happy. But Tariq now commands forces set on destroying Khalid's empire. Shahrzad is almost a prisoner caught between loyalties to people she loves. But she refuses to be a pawn and devises a plan.

While her father, Jahandar, continues to play with magical forces he doesn't yet understand, Shahrzad tries to uncover powers that may lie dormant within her. With the help of a tattered old carpet and a tempestuous but sage young man, Shahrzad will attempt to break the curse and reunite with her one true love.



My Review: I loved this story. I had to read this as soon as I finished the first book, and it was like I never left.  Shahrzad just wants to be with her love. Khalid and she have become so close, fallen in love and are ready to rule. If it wasn’t for this curse, things would be looking so much better right now.

She’s currently in the desert with her family. She tries to enjoy it, but can’t. Shahrzad just wants to find a way to break this curse, and with the help of her dad’s book, it should work. Shahrzad’s dad isn’t who we thought he was, hes much more ruthless than you think. Once he finds out his book is missing near the end, oh he is not thrilled at all.

Throughout the book, I was hooked. But nothing grabbed me like this ending. The curse has been taken care of. People are joining up despite how they may feel about the other. There is unexpected loss. And a very shocking way that Shahrzad’s dad showed compassion. Otherwise, there would have been more death. There would be no king. Shahrzad would be lonely and the life and family she dreamed off, wouldn’t be a reality. Despite all the scars and rough road it took, I was beyond happy to see that Shahrzard and Khalid to be happy and having the life they deserve. 



My Rating:
✪✪✪✪✪