The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh Review!

A sumptuous and epically told love story inspired by A Thousand and One Nights

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.

The beginning of this book really draws you in. If you haven't read about Shahrzad's story before then either way you want to know what happens and why she wants to kill the Caliph. I love how descriptive and lyrical this book is. It's written beautifully. Just like Shazi's story telling ability, Ahdieh has the ability to weave a beautiful story that will leave you wanting more and more.

This story is so beautiful and full of culture that you cannot help but love it. I felt like I was practically there with Shazi and Khalid. I was transported into that world through Ahdieh’s words, and I was blown away. Shazi has made it her mission to make Khalid pay for what he has done to the girls before her, but she starts to realize that that may be harder than she thought. I loved how different this book is. I have never read a book that features such a diverse bunch of characters and it is really refreshing. The fact that this book is full of adventure and mystery also had me loving the story. Shazi is not one to sit around idly and Khalid is determined to find out what she hides behind her beautiful stories and pretty smiles. I just love everything about this book down to the adventure and action to the way Ahdieh describes the simplest things like the way Shazi's heart pounds when Khalid is near or the way Khalid's demeanor changes when Shazi opens herself up more and more. It's really a beautiful story and after I finished I was desperate for me. Honestly, I would have given anything for this book to be longer. THAT ENDING KILLED ME. I expected to like this story, but I never expected to love it so hard and so much as I did. This has to be one of the best books I have read this year. It's the kind of book that stirs up all kinds of emotions and leaves you screaming for more. I cannot explain how amazing this book it. It's complex, mysterious, romantic, and so much more. I just can't stop thinking about Shazi and Khalid. I need more of them.

Speaking of Shazi and Khalid, I loved the characters. Shazi is so bold and fearless that you cannot help but be proud of her. She is the only one willing to stand up to Khalid and she is amazing. Then we have Khalid who is this mysterious and seemingly cold Caliph, but he soon he begins to shows signs of being human and full of passion as the story goes on. He is a conundrum, but I can't help but want to know more about him. As the story went on, I fell in love with him slowly, like Shazi did. He was just so sweet and caring when he finally let his guard down and when he called Shazi his queen, my heart melted. Also, Despina is hilarious. She made me laugh out loud more than once. She is definitely one of my favorite characters in this book after Shazi, of course.

If you are looking for a book that will have you hooked from to start to finish and even beyond that, then The Wrath and the Dawn is for you. This book is full of complex emotions, a mysterious but loving Caliph, a loyal and brave Calipha, and a whole lot of plotting that will leave you speechless. This book is without a doubt going on my favorite books of all-time list. If you take nothing else from this review, just know that you need to read this book. For Shazi's sake, read this glorious book! Of course, it deserves five stars. This book needs to be a best seller.