By Renee Ahdieh
“What are you doing to me, you plague of a girl?”
“If I’m a plague, then you should keep your distance, unless you plan on being destroyed.”
- page 166
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?
Inspired by A Thousand and One Nights, The Wrath and the Dawn is a sumptuous and enthralling read from beginning to end.
-Goodreads
When I first started the book I liked the prologue – the fact that this was first was something I found interesting and different. As the story went on however, I felt it wasn’t such a wise choice – knowing for sure that there was something major going on makes it pretty frustrating to start with chapter one. It also makes Shazi seem like an annoying brat. (not to mention Tariq!)
I want her to shut up, stop being so annoying and to ask the right questions right now and save whatever or whomever needs to be saved!! I’m sure some kind of saving must be about to take place.
I was also getting a little bored with it until page 166/167 when things started to pick up. I’m on page 184 now – 44% and it seems to be a lot more interesting now! In fact I was looking forward to reading when I got home, instead of actively NOT reading. I do wonder how the story will stretch over two books though….
The book is from a few points of view, though not in first person. We get a little Khalid – who may become my favourite, I like the tortured souls for some reason – some of Shazi’s family, and some Tariq, I’m assuming the ‘love she left behind’ but it’s mostly Shazi. Honestly, I’m not giving two hoots about Tariq. He just doesn’t seem worth my time, I’m 100% ready to hate him.
Have you read The Wrath and the Dawn yet? Are you laughing at my First Impressions? Or are you impressed by my insight? ( haha)
