Review: The Rose & the Dagger (The Wrath and the Dawn #2) by Renee Ahdieh

Summary from Goodreads:

The much anticipated sequel to the breathtaking The Wrath and the Dawn, lauded by Publishers Weekly as "a potent page-turner of intrigue and romance."

I am surrounded on all sides by a desert. A guest, in a prison of sand and sun. My family is here. And I do not know whom I can trust.

In a land on the brink of war, Shahrzad has been torn from the love of her husband Khalid, the Caliph of Khorasan. She once believed him a monster, but his secrets revealed a man tormented by guilt and a powerful curse—one that might keep them apart forever. Reunited with her family, who have taken refuge with enemies of Khalid, and Tariq, her childhood sweetheart, she should be happy. But Tariq now commands forces set on destroying Khalid's empire. Shahrzad is almost a prisoner caught between loyalties to people she loves. But she refuses to be a pawn and devises a plan.


While her father, Jahandar, continues to play with magical forces he doesn't yet understand, Shahrzad tries to uncover powers that may lie dormant within her. With the help of a tattered old carpet and a tempestuous but sage young man, Shahrzad will attempt to break the curse and reunite with her one true love.

My Review:



I enjoyed but did not love the first novel of this duology so it took me a while to finally read the second novel. I finally read it and it was amazing!

Ahdieh's writing was stunning. It was the main aspect that kept me reading novel one. She has weaved a complex and well-crafted world and characters.

She took the world created in The Wrath and the Dawn and expanded it. I felt that the world was so much better in the sequel than book one, we saw more of it. Plus, the action/pacing improved lot from book one. I flew through this book because each scene had me wanting to keep reading. 

I enjoyed reading about the familiar characters from book one and the new characters Ahdieh had me loving by the end of the series. Irsa slowly became one of my favorite new characters that Ahdieh introduced in this book. Plus, Shahrzad, was so refreshing to read. Her character is strong in the face of so much turmoil and I loved her stubborn attitude, she was willing to always help those she loved and never compromise herself. 

Overall, the best aspect of this besides the characters/writing was the romance. I tend to not enjoy that many romances but this one over the two novels grew to be one of my favorites! I felt that it had more a slow burn to it this time around that made me enjoy it more. 

I recommend checking out this epic series! Even if you were not a huge fan of book one I urge you to read this one because it a vast improvement.

My Rating:

5 Stars Out of 5 Stars