About: The Wrath & the Dawn is a fiction novel written by Renee Ahdieh. It was published on 5/12/2015 by G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers, 388 pages. The genres are fairy tales and fantasy. The sequel is The Rose & the Dagger, which was published on 4/26/2016. The Wrath & the Dawn is the author’s first novel. (As always, my reviews are spoiler-free)
My Experience: I started reading The Wrath & the Dawn on 11/1/16 and finished it on 11/5/16. I have decided to read this book as a Buddy Read with a lovely fellow Blogger, Lia @ Lost in a Story. She was super great to come up with questions for us to answer and share our opinions of the book. In my review, I have listed 3 questions with both of our answers and if you click on her name above, you will see her reviews with another 3 questions and both of our answers. This Buddy Read system is great and I’m glad to have the opportunity to learn of her opinions on the book first hand.
Buddy Reads Questions & Answers:
Did the book live up to your expectations?
Lia: I always try not to have expectations of books, so I don’t know. It did live up to the hype though. I’ve heard of so many people that read this book and loved it, so I am happy I liked it too.
Jasmine: No. I was expecting an awesome read where my heart would pound and I would laugh from the constant witty chat the characters may have. I am aware of mixed reviews for this book but I inclined to believe the positive reviews and expected it to be a really good read, but it turns out to be an okay read for me.
How addicting was the book?
Lia: Medium addicting? The thing is, once I was caught up in the story I couldn’t stop but once I put the book away and wanted to read on later, I had trouble keeping up with the story.
Jasmine: I was bored the first 100 pages. Often times, my heart want to read another book. It was not addicting for me. The plot & characters are okay. There seems to be only one suspense in this story, but the main character doesn’t even know what it is and she doesn’t break the rules to actively seek it out. She only ask Khalid & Jalal and feel angry when they refuse to tell her.
What is your opinion on the world the book is set in?
Lia: I think it is a wonderfully created world. I love the setting and the Arabian feel to it. The writer Renee Ahdieh uses a lot of foreign words, which add to the atmosphere of the book but also makes it more difficult to read. Especially in the beginning it felt like they were just throwing words at you and you just needed to find out what they meant. There is a glossary in the back of the book though, so you can look up words.
Jasmine: I like the idea of following the Arabian and the classic tale of One Thousand & One Nights. The names and foreign terms were hard to follow. I didn’t realized there’s a glossary at the end! The story took place more in the palace than outside with thieves & treasure hunt for my liking.
My Review:
The Wrath & the Dawn is an interesting title with a pretty cover. I like the jewelries and the dress she has on. I like the general Arabian setting with stories of thieves and the magic lamb. I didn’t understand the Prologue at the beginning of the book even reading it twice. I read it again after finishing the book and understand it better. I read through the first 100 pages of the book and feel so-so. I enjoy the stories Shahrzad told Khalid, but besides that, the main story of this book was not strong. There weren’t much actions and adventures to follow the classic tale of One Thousand and One Nights. There weren’t dead ends and troubles with impossible problem solving. The author introduces the old rug, a gift given to Shahrzad, but no further development in it. She didn’t bother to figure out how to use it. The mention of her dad and that book, but no explanation behind it as well as that guy that seems to cure Khalid. There is humor in this book, but it just didn’t crack me up. I like that there’s a bit of danger to the king and what he possess.
This morning, I was not where I should have been. Last night, I was not where I wanted to be. p112.
Shahrzad: I don’t enjoy reading this girl’s POV much. I find her moods unpredictable and often annoying. She supposed to be angry but she give herself away so willingly. She supposed to come for revenge as the cover says but her actions doesn’t justify. She doesn’t take risks to her cause for revenge. I like that she has a “silver tongue” and at times appear smart and brave. I like that she attempts to bring out the happiness to the king by sneaking out to the market.
Khalid: I like that the author provide an additional chapter at the end to give his POV before it all began. His character is okay, not so strong as Jalal. I like Jalal in this book. He’s a supporting character but somewhat taken on the spotlight over Khalid. I don’t have too much feelings for Khalid. I smile at a few of Jalal’s retorts.
Tariq: There could have been more actions & adventures with him since he travels around. He could have meet dead ends or challenges, but it was a smooth ride. I like his sweet words with the one he loves. I like when he’s jealous. I like his determination. He follows through what he intends to get done.
Summary: A young king has secrets he can’t tell and actions he made that makes citizens angry. A young girl feeling angry and wanting a revenge. A young man love his childhood friend and will do everything, even to cause a war just so he could keep her by his side.
Pro: love triangle, informal regards to kings/queens, humor, different POVs,
Con: lack of outdoor adventures & actions, lack of difficult problems to solve, Shahrzad is too willing & too moody, lack of additional info on the rug and the book,
I rate it 4 stars!
Grab yourself a copy here: Book Depository
***Disclaimer: I received this book via SocialBookCo and my opinions are honest. Many thanks to SocialBookCo for the opportunity to read & review! SocialBookCo is a price comparison site. At the search, I put in this title, and the site list out 10 places where you can order this book. The cheapest place listed among them is amazon prime. They also have a Book Review Program where they send you a book to read and review. If the book generate sales, you will earn a commission. Follow the link above to learn more about SocialBookCo. This is my first experience with them.
xoxo,
Jasmine
What a great book to get from SocialBookCo! And you got the classic cover, which I like more.
I didn’t see it on the list…but I guess I had already reviewed it so I need to pick a good book from there. Lol. 😉
Great buddy review! Very thoughtful.
LikeLiked by 1 person
This book was not on the Available to Review list. I put this book on my top 5 wish list in the Profile section. Yeah, I like this cover too.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh that’s why! Well, it’s a beautiful book. I hope they send you the sequel then!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love how you did this buddy read! Hearing both of your perspectives up front was really interesting– it’s obvious you both had very different takes on parts of this book. It also inspired me to read both of your reviews! Honestly, when I see co-posted buddy reads I often don’t read the second post because I expect to hear more of the same. This was a refreshing change!~
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m glad we were able to provide opposing views to this book even though we didn’t plan on it.. hehe.. Just as well because I do see mixed reviews for this book on goodreads. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love her book! It’s such an amazing retelling
LikeLiked by 1 person
Have you read the sequel? I don’t love this book much. I like the story Shahrzad told Khalid more hehe
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love the actual story not much of the retelling. Sorry for the confusion. And I know right!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ve been on the fence about reading this book so it’s been on my TBR list for a while haha It just seems like the reviews are so mixed I’ll probably just go read it for myself. Great post and review!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, it’s better to have your own opinions. I still think it’s a good read, just not awesome 😊 it doesn’t compare to six of crows but it’s not bad.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ah the dreaded love triangle that either works out really well or ends up being really terrible. Seems like it fell really flat with this one, which is nice to know since I’ve been eyeing this book for a while. I’m sorry it turned out to not be so enjoyable for you. Hopefully your next read is better! Great review! 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oops. I read that backwards and thought I saw the love triangle on cons. Sorry about that. That’s what I get for blogging half asleep. 🙈
LikeLiked by 1 person
😂😂 happened to me a few times! If you love Six of Crows, this book is not comparable, but it’s still an okay read. I have heard the sequel is better, but can’t read a sequel without reading this one 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ve heard the same about the sequel. I remember seeing tons of raving back when it released. I’ll probably still end up giving it a try but with lower expectations. 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
And don’t read the synopsis because I heard it’s major spoiler 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ll be sure not to 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
Buddy reading is fun! 😛 I’m very happy to see you rated it four stars, though. Hopefully when I finish the book I’m still reading, I’ll be able to finally start this one!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Lia loved it more than me. She gave it 4.5 stars 😊 So you can expect a good read, just not awesome! Hehe
LikeLiked by 1 person
That sounds good to me!! 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
I agree that the setting was a bit too confined. I wish they would have travelled around a bit more. I didn’t have too many feeling for Khalid after the first book but the second book changed my mind. Jalal was a great character and I loved Shazi’s wit. But I thought the stories she told were more interesting than the actual story too lol. Great review! Hope you enjoy the second one if you choose to read it! 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m glad we have the same point of view on this book! 😊 I’m also glad to know the second book is better . Thanks!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nice review! I’ve seen so many mixed reviews on this book I’ve been torn about reading it. It sounds cool. I think I need to check it out. I also really like the cover. I like what you did here with your review. It makes it very fun to read. 👍
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, check it out. Better to have your own opinions of the book 😊 It’s fun to read with a buddy and share each other’s opinions.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love the format of this post! Buddy-read posts are always fun. =)
Your criticisms are totally on-point. Glad you ultimately enjoyed the book, despite its issues!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you. Have you done any buddy read yet?
LikeLiked by 1 person
No, I haven’t! Maybe one day? Until then, I’m happy just reading everyone else’s approach to buddy-reads. =)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for the honest review! I don’t hear that often about books set in the Arabian world so it’s great to hear some more about it. I really liked the questions you answered and I will read her review. The way you set up the buddy read makes it really interesting to read both opinions. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Is it alright if we can do our buddy read this way? I’m liking it too. It’s up to you if you want to come up with all 6 questions or you can come up with 3 and I come up with 3. Can’t wait for our buddy read! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think it would be great if we did it like that as well 🙂 do you have a twitter account or sth similar? It would probably be easier to talk that way. Or even email,whatever works best for you 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
@suoimay2 for twitter and https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/4467515-jasmine-from-how-useful-it-is for Goodreads. Add me on both. We can update our reading in the message 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I really enjoyed this story. Sorry to hear it didn’t blow you away. I have the sequel and just haven’t had time to read it (book blogger problems). Great review. I like to hear what didn’t work for you and what did.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Who is your favorite character? I like Jalal. His humor is great and he seems to believe so much in Shahrzad.
LikeLike
I love how you have done this review.Buddy reads sound great and so does this book.Great review!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks. Buddy Reading is great. The same book, the same main character, we could have totally opposite opinions of them 😊
LikeLike
I love buddy read books reviews, I try to feature them at least once a month on my blog. I also use the Q&A style, it’s so cool to have to perspectives on the same book in one review. Awesome stuff!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Have you done many buddy reviews? This is my first one 😊
LikeLike
I’ve got 4 up on the blog so far, if you go to my a-z book-reviews – all the ones with *BR* next to them are buddy read book reviews
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great review and buddy reads can be so rewarding! I don’t know why female YA protagonists are so moody sometimes, though. Teenage hormones I guess ;). You must be the first person out here I see who thinks love triangles are a pro, haha 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
😂😂 love triangles are fun to read. The jealousy and the professing ones love for the other person. It’s too cute!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hahaha, you’re silly! XD (I wish I had 2 HOT guys fighting over me)
LikeLiked by 1 person
It sounds like a really interesting book and I will definitely read it in the future!!! Also this book is cover is SO gorgeous!!!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Don’t read the synopsis for the book. Super spoiler. You can read my summary in my review (spoiler-free) 😊 And yes, I love this cover more than the other cover you have seen floating around in other bloggers’ reviews.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks I tried not to read to much because I don’t like when I get spoiler
LikeLiked by 1 person
*Spoilered!
LikeLike