THE ROSE & THE DAGGER by Renee Ahdieh / Book Review

By: Renee Ahdeih
Published by: Putnam
To Be Released on: April 26th, 2016
Series: The Wrath & The Dawn #2
Rating: 5 Stars - I Loved It!
Purchase from: Penguin Teen | Amazon | B&N
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Source: I received an arc to review, in exchange for my honest review
Read my review for The Wrath and The Dawn

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. 

Renee Ahdieh's The Rose and The Dagger is perfection wrapped in a stunning blue cover! What an epic story of love, redemption, friendship, magic, betrayal and so much more. It is the perfect ending to Shahrzad and Khalid's story. This book is just as spelling binding as the first. It's everything I had hoped it would be and so much more. 

 Continuing with her vividly detailed world, and lively characters, this book quickly came to life for me. I love this book's world building, as much as I love getting to know more about each of the characters. Every character has a reason for being in the story, and I loved discovering what it was as the story went on. Both good, and bad. This story is so beautifully told. I devoured this book the same day I started reading it. It is the perfect sequel to The Wrath and the Dawn. 

Picking right up where her debut left off, Ahdieh immediately transported back into her mesmerizing world. She knows how to hit her readers right in the book feels. There is so much emotion in her story telling. Her words are poetic and hold you captivated by all she's telling you. Similar to Shahrzad's storytelling gift, Ahdieh's beautiful words are lyrically and make it incredibly easy to envision all she's telling you. There's a lot to this story, and I enjoyed every moment I spent reading this book. It's full of dangerous twists, shocking secrets, and courageous journeys. I loved everything this book gave me, though my favorite part is the love story that is the heart of this spellbinding duology.

Shahrzad and Khalid's story is something that goes beyond fairy tales. Theirs is a real love story. It's one that makes you sigh and swoon all the same time. It's a story about two people who love each other fiercely, and fight for each other. They embrace each other for all that they are. They love each other for all their strengths and weaknesses. They are each other's voice of reason, and offer each other strength, comfort, confidence, and when needed lend advice. They see each other as equal companions, and respect each other. They fight for what they have. Their loyalty, completely honesty, and love for each other is something I loved about these two. I also loved the romances that grow between a few other characters I enjoyed getting to know more. 

"He saw a boy. Who loved a girl. More than anything in the world." - pg 120

I didn't think I could love Shahrzad and Khalid any more than I already did, but they both proved me wrong. I not only loved seeing their journey together, I loved seeing their own character growth, and the journeys they go on individually. Together Shahrzad and Khalid are unstoppable, and a force to be reckoned with, and individually they're just as strong. They gave each other strength, and brought each other redemption. They didn't belong to each other, they belonged together. It was refreshing to read a story like theirs.

They both face so much in this book, especially Shahrzad, and yet not once do they waiver on their feelings for each other. Shahrzad is definitely one of my favorite heroines. She's intelligent, bold, confident, unwavering in her convictions  and feelings, and doesn't apologize for all that she is, and all that she isn't. She is who she is, and I loved that she didn't shy away from that. No matter the threats or the cost. I greatly admire that no matter what she's endured, and all she losses, she's do it all again for those she loves. There's nothing this girl can't endure, and she has her battle wounds to prove it. All the same things can be said about Khalid. I love him, and the way he treats Shahrzad. He'll definitely be on a lot of book boyfriend lists this year!

I LOVED this book! That ending is one that will leave you grinning, while at the same time leave you wishing for of Shahrzad's story. What a beautifully told story. Everything about this book was captivating. I wanted more while at the same time I loved everything I got. There's so much more to the story than you'll realize. It's one that you'll still be thinking about long after you've read it. I highly recommend picking this one up!