The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Adieh - Review

The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Adieh
Reviewed by Amanda Kennedy on February 23rd, 2016

I can't help it: I'm drawn to pretty books. Even more so to beautiful, gilded, hardcover editions which make my bookshelves come alive by their addition. "Don't judge a book by it's cover" they say. In this case, I would have happily made an exception, should the content fail to deliver the promise of exquisite packaging. I am very, very happy to say that the promise was kept.

The Wrath and the Dawn is a retelling of the legend of Sherezade: storyteller extraordinaire, who by means of plot twists and cliffhangers was able to spare herself execution at the hands of a violent king.

Our heroine of this tale is named Shahrzad (Shazi, as she is known to those she holds dear). After the death of her closest friend at the hands of the boy-king, Khaled, Shahrzad vows to infiltrate the royal court in the guise of Khaled's next bride, searching for an opportunity to rid the kingdom of his violent rule.

Beguiling Khaled with her intricately woven stories, she escapes her fate, but finds there is far more to this seemingly evil young man than the kingdom have been led to believe. She battles with conflicting emotion, finding herself falling in love while cursing her lack of courage in performing the act she had endangered herself to seek.

I was devastated to realise at the end of this beautiful novel that The Wrath and the Dawn was merely the first of a two-part installment. How could it leave me on such a cliffhanger, wondering for the fate of the two main characters and those of other, enthralling, sub-plots? Perhaps, in likeness to Adieh's heroine, this was the author's way of making us suffer while yearning for more, in true Arabian Nights style.

I have already preordered by copy of the second installment, The Rose and the Dagger, and cannot wait to discover how this magical story ends.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars.