The Wrath and the Dawn (The Wrath and the Dawn #1)
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? (Summary and cover courtesy of goodreads.com)
Review:
This was a book that took me a while to get into, but since it had such fantastic reviews, I committed to reading both books in the series. I liked the world building and that Shazi is a spunky heroine willing to face her fears without flinching. My problem was that I couldn’t get into the story at the beginning. I found it a very angsty young adult combination which took a while to get through. Once Shazi and Khalid finally start talking, the story does pick up quite a bit.
Be forewarned though – this almost isn’t a completed book. The story halts unexpectedly a leaves a major cliffhanger for the next book. I didn’t mind too much as I had committed to both books and had it ready to go, but don’t expect things to be resolved in this first story.
Warning: Contains sexual references and violence.
Rating: 3 stars!
Who should read it? Anyone with interest in fairytale retelling and young adult.
Want to read the whole series?