My Favorite Books and Series
In a land on the brink of war, Shahrzad is forced from the arms of her beloved husband, the Caliph of Khorasan. She once thought Khalid a monster—a merciless killer of wives, responsible for immeasurable heartache and pain—but as she unraveled his secrets, she found instead an extraordinary man and a love she could not deny. Still, a curse threatens to keep Shazi and Khalid apart forever.
This book is a solid and satisfying sequel to The Wrath and the Dawn. The set is a duology. The sequel is majestically and skillfully written! All loose ends are tied up, but not until every heartstring has been tugged, no yanked, from your chest. Think you can predict every contingency, think again. There will be surprises, conspiracies, revelations, and finally just when you cannot stand it anymore, resolution does occur, but what type of resolution, you will have to read to find out. I can tell you the magical element is a bit more predominant in The Rose and The Dagger than it was in its predecessor. However, it was not overdone. The world and cultural elements were still just as strong and elegant. The moments between the protagonists were brief, but heart wrenching. This is not your sappy romance or your cliche love triangle, this is the story of strong individuals, fighting against the world in an attempt to try to be together, with absolutely no guarantee of success and every reason to expect failure.
I give the Rose and the Dagger 4 out of 5 Stars
Audio content 3 out of 5 stars
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.
This is a breath-taking book! I was afraid at first this was going to be a sicking case of Stockholm's Syndrome, but it was not. Shazi was so much stronger and so much deeper than I expected. I was hooked from the very beginning of this book. I am not a big romance reader. I like a good love story, but i do not want it to dominate the book. Well this book is centered around a love story, but it is no cliche, sweet, love story. These are two strong and damaged individuals, both with reasons not to become attached to the other. They have absolutely no intention, or desire, to become entangled in a real relationship, and even as the love begins to grow, they both fight it. Not out of stupidity, or blindness, but these characters have real, tangible reasons not to want each others. The magical element in this book was woven into the background. it had quite a bit of influence over the story's plot, without permeating every move made. The world building was exceptional and the characters were well-developed. I liked the blend of culture, magic, and wills as they collide to present the reader with this elegant, silky, young adult novel.
I give the Wrath and the Dawn 5 out of 5 Stars
Audio Content 3 out of 5 stars
