Books that make you never want to stop reading them are a rare – and wonderful – breed, one of which The Wrath and the Dawn belongs. The pacing is quick enough so that there is never a dull moment, but also properly spread out so that it leaves you constantly wanting (needing, really) to turn the page to find out what happens next. Of course, the pacing only plays a small part in the overall fantastic-ness of this book.

The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh is centered on Khorasan, an empire ruled by a boy-king, Khalid, who marries and kills a new bride each night. When Shahrzad’s most cherished friend falls to this fate, she vows to get revenge by staying alive and plotting his death herself. Shahrzad enchants Khalid and soon she has lived longer than any other bride has, but the one thing she never expected happens: Shahrzad is enchanted by Khalid as well, and falls herself falling in love with a monster. After discovering that greater forces control the Caliph, she decides to uncover whatever dangerous secrets lurk before the palace walls and save her love, her land, and her life.  

The danger of the game Shahrzad plays with Khalid brings with it a thrill for the reader that one only finds in a great fantasy adventure. The addition of romance is one of the best attributes, along with the general wit of the characters.

I was both nervous and intrigued going into this novel. Wanting to read a book that you have heard nothing but good things about since June does that to a girl, though seeing the map of Shahrzad’s world at the front of the book clued me in to know that this would be some killer fantasy. While it is not exactly high fantasy, there are many mysterious moments dealing with dark magic that kept me constantly guessing, wondering, and dying to know the forces behind it all. The mystery, romance, and action all working together are what make this book great.

There was only one thing that irked me while I read – the fact that I could never tell what period the book is supposed to be set in. Given that it is fantasy, it does not need a distinct time because it is not set in the world we know and not necessary. However, the presence of the caliphate originally led me to assuming the story takes places in the Middle East some thousands of years ago when caliphs ruled. Despite that, the characters’ speech often felt incredibly modern and casual for the situations they were in, and it was very perplexing.

A great aspect of the book was simply the writing. It flowed so smoothly, and the third person allowed for many different perspectives that clue the reader in on many more details than if it was from only one. The great thing about the point of view was that you could still see Shahrzad’s thoughts, written in first person, in italics when focused on her, which added to the mystery. The changes in perspective were also frustrating, because certain characters that I was not fond of have their own perspectives and all I really wanted to see were the things happening inside Shahrzad and Khalid’s head. The short bits from his eyes were the most intriguing, because he was the character that everyone else was constantly wondering about in the rest of the book. I also loved Shahrzad’s wit and her developing relationships with some of the minor characters – it helped make the story very well rounded.

The best part concerning the romance was the bond formed between the two. It happens very naturally, as Shahrzad sees softer sides of Khalid and learns more about him, she begins to open up more herself. She really starts to care for him once she starts to understand the reasons he has done so many bad things. My favorite thing was watching them learn to trust each other, and I especially loved the fact that neither one of them ignore their awful past deeds and even Khalid himself does not deny that he is a monster who cause the death of hundreds of young women.

Even though Khalid did, in fact, allow many people to die, it is not as bad as it sounds. It is just not possible to explain anything behind the deaths without giving away major plot points. The Wrath and the Dawn was an exhilarating read, and by the time I finished the novel I thought I could actually die from suspense and anticipation for the sequel.

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