Live, Laugh, Love with Gladz: Book Review: The Wrath and The Dawn by Renee Ahdieh

"I will live to see tomorrow's sunset. Make no mistake.
I swear I will live to see as many sunsets as it takes.
And I will kill you.
With my own hands."

Finding out the King's (Khalid's) rationale behind the death of all of his brides every dawn and the outcome of the current wife's vengeance will definitely entice its readers. The Wrath and The Dawn is a captivating and intriguing novel that will definitely hook its readers, whether you are young or young-at-heart.

I find it difficult to understand some terms used at first, but then when I already finished the book, that's when I learned that there is a glossary. Sigh... My fault for not reading the contents page. I got confused in the beginning because of the sudden changes in point-of-view that made me stop reading the book even though I got only up to the first two chapters. But after a couple of days, it is still sitting in my currently reading shelf in Goodreads that it called upon me to finish it and so I did, and I never regretted doing so.

The way Shahrzad handles herself gives pride to all women. She is smart, strong, honest, bold and fierce. Her volunteering to become the King's wife even knowing that her death is expected by the dawn and her goal to exact vengeance, simply makes her courageous.

Khalid is smart, strong, powerful, has a very keen eye and is the second-best swordsman in the whole Kingdom and yet he have a very soft heart contradicting to the image as a monstrous king that he portrays.

To exact Shahrzad's vengeance, it requires her to find a way to keep herself alive. And the method she have thought of is sort of bit childish for me, but realizing the reason why that made Khalid agreed on keeping her alive for yet another day, is simply interesting but totally understandable. But she still needs to be smart and she has to learn Khalid's weakness. But the enigmatic king is so elusive. Then when she have learned the way to achieve her goal, her heart and mind contradicts with each other.

The character build up as well as the couple's relationship has been a bit slow-moving but appropriate. The intensity of the situation, the banter, the powerful and meaningful dialogues are just so addicting that have made me a fan of this book. That after reading several awesome lines, I just have to write them down on my journal and read it again. The imagery that R.A have created in my mind takes me to their wonderful palace.

I love that the secondary characters in this book are not just an accessory to this wonderful story, but they've got their own short story to tell:

Tariq Imran al-Ziyad - Shahrzad's first love, and the successor to the fourth-largest stronghold in the Kingdom;

Captain Jalal al-Khoury - Khalid's cousin, and the captain of the guards;
Despina - Shahrzad's handmaiden and companion in the palace.

Yes there is a love-triangle in this magical story. But it is not the kind that will annoy you. It is the kind that will soften your heart. That in some way, I believe you will understand Tariq, as I did. Shahrzad's interaction with Tariq is simply unavoidable on her part. He is her first love and an ex-lover. Throughout her stay with Khalid, Shahrzad has rarely thought of Tariq. I find Tariq as the added spice to the story as most love-triangle. His presence made me understand more the build-up of Shahrzad's feelings for Khalid. That encounter in Shahrzad's balcony made her doubt everything she thought of, and made her believe more to the feelings she shared with Khalid.

"It's a fulfilling punishment for a monster. To want something so much to hold it in your arms - and know beyond a doubt that you will never deserve it."

I just thought that Shahrzad did not put too much effort in getting the revenge that she seeks for her friend Shiva. Nonetheless, the story captivates me, the imagery that R.A have drawn on my mind is simply wonderful. Once I finished the last page of this book, even though it is already midnight, I can't seem to stop myself from reading the first few pages of the sequel. So, I suggest for you to have a copy of the sequel first before finishing this book, because just like me, waiting is not an option. :)

This is going to be an exciting movie if adapted. The mystical ambience, the suspense and the thrill most specially the enticing romance build up will definitely make it worthy to watch.

The rest of the characters are a bit confusing at first, so to help you be guided and not be confused as I had. Here's a list to help you:
General Aref al-Khoury - Khalid's Uncle, Father of Jalal , Second to Caliph;
Jahandar al-Khayzuran - Shahrzad's father;
Irsa al-Khayzuran - Shahrzad's younger sister;
Shiva - Shahrzad's bestfriend, Tariq's cousin and previous bride of Khalid;
Reza bin-Latief - Shiva's Father and Tariq's uncle.
The Rajput - "Vikram", Best swordsman in the Kingdom and Caliph's personal bodyguard and assigned to Shahrzad's;
Musa Zaragosa - Khalid's mother's tutor;
Salim Ali el-Sharif - Sultan of Parthia;
Yasmine el-Sharif - Princess of Parthia;

Lead Characters: "Shazi" Shahrzad al-Khayzuran and "Sayyidi" Khalid Ibn al-Rashid
Point of View: Multiple

Ratings
Hero: 5 stars
Heroine: 5 stars
Intimate scenes: 4.5 stars
Imagery: 5 stars
Setting: 4.5 stars
Narration: 5 stars
Dialogue: 6 stars
Plot: 5 stars
Climax: 4.5 stars
Ending: 4.5 stars
Story: 5 stars
Overall Rating: 5 stars

Do I recommend this book? Yes. Highly recommended.
Will I re-read this book? Definitely in the future
Will I read other books from the same author? Most definitely.

The Wrath and The Dawn Duology Reading Order:

The Wrath and The Dawn (Book #1)
The Rose and The Dagger (Book #2)